My Happy Ending
by Gino Santangelo
Summary: REVAMPED! The teachers have had it. The feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin and Mudblood and Pureblood needs to end. The war is approaching and desperate times call for desperate measures.
1. Grounded

Okay, I want to let you know that I have NOT abandoned this story. I was a freshman in high school when I started it and now I'm about to be a freshman in college and I feel like I owe it to myself as well as the readers to finish this story. Not a day goes by when I'm not thinking about certain scenes I envisioned occurring in this story. I just had trouble getting _to_ these scenes. Now, I am older and wiser. Some people can just wing a story. I, sadly, can not. I've made an outline for the story so I know exactly where I am going with it. I've taken some stuff out and added stuff in and I also present you with a new chapter I had been working on for the past 3 years. I have no idea how regularly I will be updating but I promise the wait won't be anywhere near as bad as it was before. Enjoy!

I'd also like to point out that I started this story 4 years ago. Half-Blood Prince hadn't come out yet. As such, this is before J.K. Rowling declared Blaise Zabini a boy and all those deaths happened and what not so this story is non-canon. Okay? Okay.

Chapter One

"I hope we have a decent teacher this year," Harry said as they climbed another staircase. "What's her name again?"

Hermione answered, "Professor Dessen. Ginny said she's good. She had her yesterday." They reached the top of the stairwell and made a left.

It was the end of the first week of school and the trio was making their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts, the last class of the day.

Ron shifted his school bag to his other shoulder. "I just hope she doesn't give us too much homework. We have enough as it is," He said as they rounded the last corner. Down the hall, they could see the class filing into the classroom. He made a face. "We have this class with the Slytherins."

Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled at his sleeve. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Ron sputtered, "Hermione, we're right here!" She gave him a look and then pushed him through the door. Professor Dessen was just telling the class to settle down as they made their way to three seats on the right side of the classroom.

"Would one of you get the door please?" Professor Dessen asked, looking up from her desk.

Ron turned round to close it but Hermione stopped him. "I got it." He nodded and followed Harry to the Gryffindor side of the classroom. She doubled back and closed the door but on the way back, a foot out from the Slytherin side sent her sprawling in the air. She stuck her hands out to break her fall. Ron and Harry jumped up to help her.

Hermione heard a few snickers and she turned her head to see Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy sneering down at her. Blaise smirked, "Did you finally realize that's where you belong?"

Pansy laughed, sticking out a black Mary Jane and shoving it in Hermione's face. She grinned maliciously. "Why don't you kiss my feet while you're down there, Mudblood?"

Hermione got to her feet and slammed her hand down on their table. "What is your problem?!"

Harry glared at them. "You could've hurt her, you know."

Draco shrugged, examining his nails. "Well, it would be one less Mudblood in the world."

Ron made a fist and nearly punched him but Harry grabbed his arm just in time. Draco stood up and narrowed his grey eyes at him. "I _dare_ you, Weasley."

Hermione gave him an utter look of disgust and patted Ron on his shoulder. "They're not worth it, Ron. Let's just go."

Draco smirked, "Listen to the Mudblood, Weasel. You can't afford to piss us off." Pansy and Blaise snickered behind him.

Hermione and Harry struggled to keep Ron from doing something he'd regret. Hermione glared at the three of them. "Enlighten me. What makes Purebloods so much better than Muggleborns?"

"There's no reason why, we just are. It's like how the sky is blue. You don't know why it's blue you just know that it is," Pansy said smugly.

Hermione retorted, "Actually, there _is _a reason why the sky is blue. It absorbs other colors of the spectrum but reflects blue because of the color of the oceans."

Blaise looked skyward. "Don't you have a book to memorize, brown noser?"

"I don't memorize books and I am not a suck up."

"Please! _All _Gryffindors are kiss asses, especially you three. You guys got all the teachers wrapped around your prissy little fingers, don't you?" Draco said. "People think you're so brave when you're just too stupid to see the danger."

Ron finally shrugged off his friends but had thankfully calmed down. He countered, "Yeah? Well _all _Slytherins are just children of Death Eaters." He said using Draco's same tone. "Especially you three. You're probably the children of You-Know-Who's Inner Circle. He's practically your Godfather, huh?" Ron spat.

Draco, Blaise, and Pansy's face hardened as the room fell silent. Both trios glared at each other with heart felt loathing. Only when Professor Dessen spoke did they remember that they had an audience.

"Sit down! _All _of you!"

All of their heads swerved toward her.

"Now!"

Pansy, Draco, Blaise returned to their seats. Harry and Ron helped Hermione pick up her things and sat down at their own seats, which were annoyingly close to the Slytherins. Professor Dessen got up from her desk and stood in the middle of the classroom.

"I'm sorry that I snapped at you like that but this has to stop."

Hermione hesitated then asked, "What does?"

Professor Dessen shook her head as she brought her wand out. She pointed towards her desk and said, "Accio chair." The chair appeared behind her and she sat down on it. She put her wand away and looked up at the class and answered, "The prejudice."

Harry inclined his head toward the opposite side of the room. "Tell it to them. They're the ones that are prejudice."

She shook her head again and said, "It's not just them, Mr. Potter. It's everyone, including you."

"What are you talk-,"

"Tell me, what is the meaning of prejudice?"

Ron looked at her like she was crazy. "It's when you have something against a certain group of people."

Professor Dessen's black eyes landed on him. "No it's not. The dictionary meaning of prejudice is preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or experience and unjust behavior formed on such a basis." She paused to let the class think and then continued, looking at the two trios. "I'm going to speak with Dumbledore and your Heads of Houses."

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked feebly.

"We will discuss that after class. Now if everyone would take out their wands we can get started on a review to see what stuck with you guys over the summer."

* * *

The bell rang and both trios rushed to pack away their things. Professor Dessen raised an eyebrow at this and inquired, "Why are you in such a hurry? You're not going anywhere." Their bags dropped to the floor along with their hopes at escaping punishment. They sat back in their seats groaning. Housemates gave them pats of sympathy and walked out. Professor Dessen stood up from her desk and announced, "I'm going to Floo in the Heads and Dumbledore."

Draco lifted his head from his folded arms on his desk. "Why don't you just give us the detention or deduct the points so we can all leave? Or do you lack the authority to do so without the Headmaster present?" He smirked. Blaise and Pansy snorted to cover up their giggles. The Gryffindors rolled their eyes.

Professor Dessen gave the Slytherins polite smiles back and answered, "I do have the authority to give out detention and points without the Headmaster and if you three aren't careful, maybe I might add that to the arrangement I had in mind." When that comment wiped the smirk from Draco's face, she snorted to mock the girls.

"What arrangement?" Ron asked as Professor made her way to her office in the back.

"I'm going to ask them if it will be alright to lock you six in a room and not let you out until you understand that nobody is better than anybody else."

There was a brief silence in the room and then-

"You can't _do _that!" Pansy argued.

"Are you _kidding _me?" Harry groaned.

"_Please _tell me you are-," Blaise pleaded.

"We didn't _do _anything!" Hermione objected.

"Whatever happened to point deduction?" Draco asked.

"_They _were the ones that said it. How come _we're _getting punished?" Ron declared.

Professor Dessen looked at Ron. "You and your friends are just as guilty. It isn't your fault. The prejudice started many years ago but has seemed to have been passed down to you."

Harry sputtered, "But they started it!" He pointed to the opposite side of the room where the Slytherins sat.

Draco rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Well put, Potter."

"I am quite aware of that, Mr. Potter but you and your friends decided to finish it and it's about time you all learned a lesson. I'm going to my office to bring your teachers so we can discuss it."

As she did so Harry whispered to Hermione, "She can't do that can she?"

"I just don't see how- I mean, we have classes to go to and other things to do. I don't think Dumbledore would allow it."

Ron nodded his agreement, "He's crazy but not THAT crazy."

Meanwhile, a similar conversation was happening on the opposite side. Blaise looked at Draco with complete horror. "Tell me she can't do that."

Draco shook his head, "Even if she can, which I doubt, Snape wouldn't give her consent."

"Yeah Blaise, he's on _our _side," Pansy agreed.

* * *

"I think that's a marvelous idea. You have my permission to do whatever you wish," Snape nodded.

All of their jaws dropped. This couldn't be happening. Hermione thought fast. "But . . . but how will we go to classes?"

"Yeah! How will we go to classes?!" Ron echoed. The fact that the inquiry came from Ron, of all people, showed just how dire the situation is.

"Well I imagine this situation will be a lot like being grounded . . . except you're at boarding school. You will go to classes as usual but you will return to the quarters that will be provided for you during breaks and meals. After school's done for the day you'll stay in that room," Professor McGonagall answered.

"For how long?" Pansy groaned, dreading the reply.

Professor Dumbledore sighed, "Professor Dessen is right. This has to stop-,"

"For how _long_, Professor?" Pansy repeated, impatiently.

"As long as it takes-,"

Ron exclaimed, "Nice going, Parkinson. You pissed him off!"

Dumbledore smiled, "I assure you Mr. Weasley that Ms. Parkinson's impatience didn't . . . what was it you just said Mr. Weasley?"

Ron looked at the ground and muttered, "Nothing,"

Draco waved his arms in the air. "Sir, what about Quidditch?"

"Oh I don't know. Don't you guys have reserve Seekers or something?" Snape asked with his lips twitching.

"No!" Harry and Draco sputtered in unison with the same looks of disgust. Honestly, why would they need reserve Seekers if they were the best in the school? Really!

"Oh well, I can only hope you children settle your differences quickly. Otherwise we'll have to tell your teammates to find replacements."

Their jaws dropped again. Pansy asked, "Why are you only punishing _us_? It's not as if the whole school isn't prejudice."

Professor Dessen countered, "And why do you think that is, Pansy?"

"What?"

"The prejudice has always been around I'll admit that, but it seemed to escalate since You-Know-Who broke out and I've never seen it as bad as it is now that you guys are in your final year at Hogwarts. _Why do you think that is?" _

Ron shook his head. "I don't see what you're getting at."

"You guys have no idea what kind of influence you have on the students at Hogwarts, do you?" They shook their heads. "You might not realize it but you guys are practically the leaders of your houses. The students look up to you because you're the oldest and to them you guys are probably the coolest kids in school. They admire you _so _much that they want to be just like you so when they see their leaders fight the way you do, which I'm guessing is all the time, they're gonna do the same thing."

Blaise shook her head vigorously. "That's ridiculous."

"How so?" Dumbledore asked, pacing around them. "You're all popular. You and Mr. Weasley are Prefects. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger are sure to be Head Boy and Girl. Mr. Potter is the Boy Who Lived and to add to that all of you have strikingly good looks. Is it really that hard to believe?"

"No, but still . . ." they trailed off glaring at each other.

Professor McGonagall said, "Well it looks like we're going to have to go through with this aren't we?"

Professor Snape nodded his agreement. "You all can go to your Common Rooms and wait there until we have the quarters ready." The three adults walked toward the door.

Hermione asked in disbelief. "You can have the room done that soon?"

Dumbledore turned around. "We're magical people Ms. Granger. We can do anything." He winked and closed the door after him.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Draco got to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Hermione. "This is all your fault!"

"_My _fault?" She asked incredulously as she and the others got to their feet as well. "If you and your idiotic friends hadn't have tripped me maybe none of this would've ever happened!"

Blaise scoffed, putting a hand on her chest. "So you're saying it's _our _fault?"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "If the shoe fits!"

"I'll have you know, that we didn't trip you. The only thing you have to blame for your fall is your own clumsiness," Pansy said.

Blaise offered, "That or her big feet."

Harry started, "Hermione isn't clumsy-,"

"And I do _not _have big feet. I'm a 7-,"

"Someone tripped her," Ron finished.

"Well it sure as hell wasn't _us_," Draco said crossing his arms across his chest.

Harry asked, "How do we know you're not lying?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's common sense, Scarhead. If we had tripped her, her face would have landed a couple of desks ahead of us instead of at Pansy's feet. Generally when you trip, you fall forwards, backwards, side to side, not straight down." The Gryffindors fell silent. He nodded at his two friends. "Let's go."

Pansy turned around and smirked, "_Now _who's idiotic?" And with that, she closed the door behind them.


	2. Moving In

**Moving In**

Chapter Two

"That sucks."

"Sucks?" Pansy sat down on the sofa beside Millicent Bulstrode. "Millie, 'sucks' doesn't begin to describe it."

Blaise folded her legs under her, shaking her head. "That's not even the worst part."

Crabbe raised his eyebrows and looked at Draco inquiringly. "There's more?"

"Yes, there's more," he exhaled. Draco had been standing by the fireplace staring intently into it, one hand on the mantel and the other on his hip. "If we don't get along with them soon, there will be no Quidditch for me this season."

Goyle muttered, "Damn. For Potter and Weasley, too?"

"Yeah, I was surprised they didn't make a special exception for them myself, but yeah. Same goes for them."

Millicent shrugged, "So all you have to do is befriend them as soon as possible and you'll be out before the season starts."

Draco turned his face around to look at her. "There's no fucking way I'm going to become chummy with Scarhead, Weasel, or the Mudblood. I'm going to owl my father. He'll put a stop to this nonsense." He ran toward the dormitory stairwell.

"It must be important if he's going to owl his father about it," Millicent observed.

"Of course it's important!" Pansy exclaimed loudly. "Seriously, Mill. What's _wrong_ with you? Did you not hear a word we just said?"

Blaise gave her a 'duh' look. "We have to bunk with Gryffindorks until we not only get along, but until we believe that Mudbloods or whatever bloods are equal to Purebloods."

Millicent nodded and added quickly, "Yeah because they're not, right?"

"Right." Pansy settled into the couch and looked at Blaise as the same thought crossed their minds. Did they really have _that_ much influence on people?"

* * *

"_What!_"

"That's bullshit-,"

"Yeah, we are_ not_ prejudice. They are!"

Ron, Hermione, and Harry were sitting in the Common Room sofas with the rest of the Sixth Years and Ginny. They had just relayed the news to them and the other Gryffindors were showing utmost sympathy.

Hermione had her arms crossed primly under her chest. She was glaring at the fire with disgust as if it were to blame for this predicament. "I know! We didn't _do _anything. They started it by calling me a Mudblood."

Lavender Brown flinched. "God, I hate hearing that word."

Ron ran his fingers through his hair. "You haven't even heard the worst part."

"What could be worse than being locked up with Malfoy, Zabini, and Parkinson?" Ginny asked, laying her feet in Hermione's lap.

Harry clenched his fists and exhaled, "Unless we settle our differences soon, Ron and I won't be playing Quidditch this season."

Everyone's jaw dropped. Neville looked at them. "They can't do that, can they? I mean, they aren't serious?"

"They sounded pretty serious to me," Ron answered.

Seamus shook his head. "No way. They're just trying to scare you. They wouldn't really do it."

Hermione countered, "Oh, I think they would."

Pavarti shrugged twirling a lock of her hair, "Well it could have been worse."

Hermione asked, "How so?"

"Well at least you're not bunking with someone ugly from Slytherin like Crabbe or Goyle. Malfoy got a lot better looking this year." Lavender giggled her agreement and high-fived her. Even Ginny cracked a smile.

Harry gaped, "Have you three gone mental?"

Hermione exclaimed, "This is Malfoy we're talking about!"

"What are you _thinking_?" Ron declared.

The smiles fell from their faces and Lavender said quickly, "Well we didn't mean he's _completely _good looking. Just that he's gone from ugly to less . . . ugly."

"Yeah," Pavarti and Ginny chimed.

Hermione studied the three of them. _'Did they just say that because that's what we wanted to hear?' _she thought. She looked across at Harry and Ron who had the same perplexed look on their faces.

Then they heard someone clear their throat behind them. The lounging Gryffindors turned around to see their Head of House standing with her arms crossed primly looking sterner then ever.

"We're ready for you now."

Ron groaned, "Already?"

Professor McGonagall nodded, "Come along." The three of them stood up and waved goodbye. The whole room fell silent as they walked to the Portrait.

Hermione asked, "What about our stuff?"

Professor McGonagall held the door open. Hermione, Ron, and Harry stepped out into the hall. The Professor closed the door and answered, "It'll be in your new quarters by the time we get there."

They walked in silence for a long time. Many staircases and a couple of corridors later, Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a very provocative painting. Hermione's jaw dropped.

Harry's green eyes had widened from shock and horror. He looked away from it and muttered, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Ron scowled crossing his arms. "That's _so_ wrong. Who did that?"

Before Professor McGonagall could answer, the Slytherins had finally arrived along with Snape and they looked equally disgusted.

Pansy's nose crinkled. "Is this supposed to be funny? Because no one's laughing."

Blaise covered her mouth with a perfectly manicured hand. "That is vile," She whispered.

Draco raised his eyebrows at her. "Vile?" He shook his head and regarded the painting with distaste. "Sick and twisted is more like it."

The painting was an accurate one. The six people in it looked exactly like the six people about to live in the room behind it, but that's where all the good things died. First of all, the painting is huge. It couldn't possibly go unnoticed but what the painting was _of_ was the most grotesque part. It was divided into five HUGE parts.

The first part was of Draco sitting on a red loveseat in green silk pajama pants with golden snitches all over it and a white wife beater with one big snitch in the center and underneath it read 'Seeker.' It would have been fine if just stopped right there but it didn't.

In between his legs, sitting on the ground was Hermione in baby blue boy boxers and a white tee. Her head was rested on his right leg and her chocolate brown eyes were drooping shut. Draco was bent over her. His platinum blond locks, free of gel, fell into his eyes as he brushed her hair with such care and gentleness that Hermione was falling asleep with a smile of content on her face.

Professor McGonagall sighed, "I admit it's not something you'd see everyday-,"

Hermione moaned, "It's not something we'd _want _to see every day. The painting is bad enough, but the fact that the whole school is going to see this takes the prize."

Pansy's head snapped at her and her angel blue eyes were wide with fear. "What do you mean?"

The second part of the painting was of her and Ron on the beach. She was wearing jean shorts with a bikini top while Ron was wearing rolled up khaki's that were wet along the bottom. In the painting, Ron was giving her a piggy back ride and they were laughing together as the wind blew through their hair and the sun set behind them.

"This is the way to History of Magic, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, _and_ Potions straight from the Great Hall. Don't you recognize the location?"

And with a sinking feeling in their stomachs the students finally recognized that this was indeed, the way to those classes. Blaise muttered bitterly, "Well this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" She gave Harry a cold glare as if he were to blame for the fourth column of the painting.

In the fourth part, Blaise seemed to have been running away from him, but Harry caught up with her. With one arm at her waist to keep her from getting away, Harry used his other hand to tickle her mercilessly. His emerald green eyes sprinkled in delight as Blaise's bouncing black curls veiled her face as she bent over in laughter.

The fifth part was two paintings in one. It was one way a couple of moments and then flashed to another one. The first part was a side view of the three girls in a row. Pansy was first; holding her hair up while Hermione clasped a necklace round her neck and behind _her _was Blaise, zipping up the back of Hermione's dress. Then the picture flashed to the boys. Draco was tying Harry's tie while Ron brushed dirt off Draco's shoulder. The six of them seemed to be getting ready for some kind of ball.

The center of the painting was the insult to injury, the salt in the wound, the finishing blow. The six of them were standing in front of a wedding chapel waving to the picture taker. On the left was Pansy and Blaise in navy blue bridesmaid dresses and on the right was Harry and Ron in matching tuxedos with navy blue comber bands. In the center was Hermione in a beautiful white wedding gown and Draco in a white tux. His right arm was around her waist and her left was around his. They looked a bit older in this one than in any of the others like, mid to late 20's.

Hermione shook her head and backed away from the portrait. She spoke very slowly and said, "There is no way, that I'd ever accept a proposal from Malfoy. Let alone _marry_ him."

Malfoy's face contorted in disgust and he glared darkly at her. "Like I'd ask. I'd rather die first." He rolled his eyes and stared at the picture once more. "Once my father hears this-,"

"Your father already knows." Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows with a twinkle in his eye and Professor Dessen in tow. "The password is 'equality'."

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Oh how original!"

Professor Dessen smiled at her sarcasm, "Say it."

The six of them muttered under their breaths, "Equality." The portrait hole swung up and it was large enough for the ten people to walk in simultaneously, comfortably. Blaise shook her head. "This is unbelievable."

Pansy nodded stepping in first. "I know. It's _so _lame."

The Common Room was the size of their old ones. When you came through the Portrait hole, there were stairs that descended to the common room like the Slytherin Common Room and the couches of both house colors around the fireplace to the right like Gryffindors'. (Think of the way the Common Rooms look in the movies. I'm not good at describing things.) Where the furniture would have been in the Slytherins' Common Room was just a vast open space with two other fireplaces. A couple of yards away was a door with bubbles on it (a bathroom).

When everyone was through and the doors were closed, there were many clicks that made the students turn round. On the door were 18 double vaulted locks with their names engraved in them: Blaise and Harry, Blaise and Ron, Blaise and Hermione, Pansy and Harry, Pansy and Ron, Pansy and Hermione, Draco and Harry, Draco and Ron, Draco and Hermione, Harry and Blaise, Harry and Pansy, Harry and Draco, Ron and Blaise, Ron and Pansy, Ron and Draco, Hermione and Blaise, Hermione and Pansy, and Hermione and Draco.

Draco pointed to the door. "What is _that_?"

"That is a clever way of showing you your progress on getting out of here." Professor Snape walked back and pointed to a lock that read, '_Draco and Harry_.' "For example, when Draco respects Harry one of the double vaults will unlock. When he gets along with him, the other vault will."

"And the lock for me and Draco is for when _I _respect and like him?" Harry asked.

When Professor Snape nodded Hermione sputtered, "In order to get of here, we have to like them _back_?"

Blaise glared, "Don't flatter yourself, Granger. Like we would like you first?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Everyone must respect and get along with every member of the opposite house."

Draco crossed his arms across his chest. "You told my father everything, and he didn't have a problem with any of this?"

"Yes, I told him that you and a few other students have been grounded."

Malfoy looked horrified. "You told him that?" Dumbledore nodded. "Well can you speak with him again and not make it seem like I did something bad and I'm being punished for something?"

"Why? You are being punished for something. All of you are and that's what I told everyone's parents."

Pansy twirled chestnut tendrils around her finger nervously. "Why do they have to know?"

"Well, they would have found out sooner of later. You're not gonna see or talk to them until winter break which, by the way, they want the three of you home for." Professor pointed to Draco, Blaise, and Pansy.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute-," Blaise held a hand up to pause the conversation. "We're not allowed to write to our parents to explain _our _side of the story?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head no. "We're trying to avoid outside influence."

Draco shook his head and chuckled, looking at the ceiling. "This is just fantastic."

Blaise patted him on his shoulder and glared at Professor Dumbledore. "Is all this _really _necessary?"

Harry snapped, "Why do you guys care so much?"

Draco looked back down at Harry and his face hardened. Blaise squared her shoulders and glared at him. Pansy's angel blue eyes iced over and her nerves calmed for the moment as she gave him her meanest look. "Look Potter, just because our parents are alive and yours are dead does not give you right to snap at us." There was a stunning silence and then-,

"Ms. Parkinson!" Professor Dessen exclaimed.

Ron demanded, "What the hell is your problem?"

Hermione was patting her pockets as she answered, "She's tactless, Ron. THAT'S what it is." Hermione's chocolate brown eyes had gone a shade darker and her eyes surveyed Pansy with disgust. Her right hand located her wand and she fixed it on Pansy the exact moment Draco's fixed on hers.

"Try anything Mudblood, and I'll leave you so mentally fucked up, you'll be sharing a room with Longbottom's parents." His voice was dangerously low and Draco's grip tightened on his wand.

Professor Dumbledore said softly, "Put the-,"

"I'm not scared of you, Malfoy." Hermione's face was still facing Pansy but now she glared at Draco from the corner of her eyes. "You call me Mudblood or whatever stupid names you have but if Parkinson ever, _ever_ says shit like that again I will not hesitate to rip her voice box from her throat. Do not think I won't." Her voice was equally as low and she talked slowly for emphasis.

Professor Snape said, "Draco, put your wand down." Draco shook his head very slowly. His gray eyes remained on Hermione.

Professor McGonagall asked kindly, "Ms. Granger, will you please lower your wand?" To everyone's amazement, Hermione still kept her wand on Pansy as if she didn't hear her Head of House.

Harry put his hand on Hermione's and said, "Its okay, Hermione. I'm fine." Though he still looked pallid from Pansy's comment, he was still shocked. He had never seen Hermione this angry before.

Hermione looked at Harry and her face softened. She relented and put her wand back in her pocket. Only then did Draco drop his.

As soon as they did, Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Okay, new rule: if you guys do any dueling or fighting besides for school, then you will get 20 points deducted from your house, a letter to your parents, and a game guaranteed to be missed of Quidditch. Five points off each house for Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy cursing in teachers' presence. Now on with the room," he added before they could squeeze in a protest. He walked to the center of the open area. "There is a large table by the first fireplace on this side of the room. It'll be there 24/7. At 7:00 am, noon, and 7:00 pm the meals will appear as they do in the Great Hall and when everyone's done it'll clear so you can use that for homework. By the second fireplace," he pointed to it. "Six queen size beds will appear at 9:00 pm. You'll know which ones are yours when they turn up. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what happens if one of us are like, bleeding to death or something? How do we get out of here?" Pansy asked.

Professor McGonagall walked up to one of the bricks on the second fireplace and pressed a firm hand on it. The brick protruded out of the wall and the top layer of it opened like a lid, revealing a big red button. She pushed it with the palm of her hand and the portrait hole opened. "This button is for emergencies only." She looked to the corner of the room and said, "Your things are over there, by the way. And the locks open up automatically when it's about time to go to class."

The four professors walked to the exit. Dumbledore ran a finger beside the locks (like the goblins in Sorcerer's Stone) and they clicked open. The Portrait swung open and the Professors stepped out. Professor Snape called as it closed shut, "Have a _great _weekend!"


	3. And So It Begins

**And So It Begins**

Chapter Three

"He's officially on my shit list," Draco whispered to Pansy and Blaise, who both gave him 'I know' looks.

"I know!" Pansy exclaimed keeping her voice low as well. "He knows perfect well what our parents stand for- what WE stand for. Why would he give them consent?"

Blaise tapped her forehead. "Think Pansy. He didn't want to look suspicious in front of the rest of them. THAT'S why he did it."

Pansy's eyes narrowed and she pouted. "Screw being suspicious! Thanks to him and Dumbledore, come holidays, our dads are going to beat us to a bloody pulp."

Blaise's cobalt blue eyes widened. "I know!" Her whispers quickened as she recalled the thought of it. "Why did he have to say grounded? You know what? I bet you he didn't even mention he's doing this for the prejudice issue. He probably told them that we had misbehaved and we're getting punished!"

Draco shook his head. "Dumbledore wouldn't lie. He's not the type." His gray eyes lifted up and met the gazes of the Gryffindors. "What the hell are you staring at?"

Ron rolled his eyes and snapped, "Nothing much, Malfoy!"

Pansy plopped down on a green sofa and furrowed her brows. "I don't suppose they'll let us out early if we pretend to like each other in classes and such, do you?"

Harry and Ron shrugged impassively. Like they would ever admit the idea wasn't half bad. Blaise did though.

"That's not a bad idea," she said pushing Pansy's feet off the couch and sitting in their place.

Hermione rolled her eyes and muttered, "Oh my goodness" under her breath. Draco shook his head. "It's not going to work guys."

Pansy's face fell. "Why not?"

"Because _Parkinson_," Hermione snapped. "Even if we _do _pretend to like each other in class, they're going to realize we were lying the moment they come to check on us and they see all 18 of those locks shut nice and tight. That's the whole point of all this. Those locks won't budge an inch until we like each other and respect each other and all that other good stuff in here, where no one is watching us and we don't have to pretend so they know for a fact that those feelings are genuine. God! How in the world are you a prefect?!"

Pansy glowered, "It was just a suggestion, Granger-,"

Hermione pointed a finger at her. "Well your suggestions are just as stupid as you are so keep them to yourself and your buddies, okay? If I were you I'd shut up because everything that you say is getting on my last nerve- just _looking _at you makes me sick!"

Draco and Blaise's mouths dropped open in shock and Harry and Ron smiled, relieved they hadn't commented on Pansy's idea, although they both knew perfectly well that Hermione's harsh words were out of rage from Pansy's comment on Harry's parents. Pansy's face hardened, her breath quickened, and her nostrils flared. She stood up and muttered something to Blaise and then gave Hermione a look of contempt before entering the bathroom.

Harry's eyes remained on the shut door. "She's not crying, is she?"

Blaise sputtered in an almost horrified manner. "Potter please. She's having a shower."

Draco's eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. "Why do _you _care, Potter?"

Harry shrugged, "Girls crying makes me feel icky."

Hermione pointed a finger at the door. "That's not a girl! That's a Slytherin!"

Blaise stood up and her eyes froze over. "What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"You Slytherins are like little robots programmed by your parents and Voldemort, or whoever raised you, to think a certain way and it's so infuriating!" Hermione pointed to herself. "I'm not one to follow the crowd. I wouldn't have a problem with Slytherins, like _you, _if I didn't think they are all the same and if I didn't think you are what people say you are but you are so I do!"

Blaise and Draco's expressions were unreadable. Hermione and they were silent, glaring at each other for a moment and then Hermione muttered something about homework. She picked up her school bag and walked to a far corner of the room where she sat and started getting out her books. Harry and Ron looked at each other speechless then they went to join her.

They did their homework in silence for a while and then Pansy came out of the bathroom to get something from her trunk. Blaise and Draco looked up from their places on the couch. Draco beckoned, "Pansy come here." Hermione, who had been working on a Transfiguration essay due weeks away from now, raised her head and glared at Pansy as she made her way to Blaise and Draco. She watched Blaise whisper in her ear and saw Pansy wave the comment away. Hermione muttered darkly under her breath, "I can't stand her."

Harry and Ron, who had been working on a Potions essay due on Monday looked up at her and then followed her gaze. Harry looked back at Hermione and asked tentatively, "Why is she making you so angry?"

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "Harry, she made a rise about your parents-,"

Ron interrupted, "But it seemed to have bothered you more than it did Harry."

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

They waited patiently for a response from Hermione, who was looking down at her hands and taking long deep breaths. She sighed, "I was going to tell you guys earlier but I didn't want to talk about it at first and then it slipped my mind until Pansy made that comment."

"What happened?" Harry asked. His eyebrows furrowed with concern.

Hermione looked up at them and then back down as if their stares were too much to handle. She said softly, "My parents told me that I was adopted this summer. My real mother died giving birth to me and my father committed suicide a couple of days later. The people that have raised me are my aunt and uncle." There was a silence and then Ron let out an, "Oh."

Hermione made a small smile. Harry patted her hand and they both said, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know . . . and Pansy didn't either." Harry and Ron nodded. "But Pansy knows about Harry's parents so she's still at fault."

"Yeah but your blowing up at her isn't helping anything," Ron said.

Hermione scowled, "You're just saying that because you don't want to miss the Quidditch season."

Harry argued, "Not necessarily. We're doing it for you too. I mean, you're not gonna do any prefect duties until we get out of here."

She groaned, "Don't remind me."

* * *

The table appeared at 7:00 sharp as expected. Ron and Harry sprung up from their seats on the ground, relieved by a distraction from homework. They sat down at the table and the food appeared. "Come on, Hermione!"

"Hold on." She wrote her concluding sentence for the Transfiguration essay. She shut the book closed and sat to Ron's right.

Blaise sat across from Ron, who was sitting in the middle, and Pansy sat across from Harry. Draco joined them a few moments later with eyeglasses on.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Ron said.

Draco scooted his chair in and opened up his napkin. While doing so he said coldly, "There are a lot of things you don't know, Weasel." He placed the napkin on top of his lap neatly.

"Don't-," Ron cut the sentence short.

Pansy's eyebrows rose as she put her napkin on her lap. "What? Does the name bother you . . . Weasel. It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it Blaise?"

Blaise's napkin was already on her lap. She smirked, "Just rolls off the tongue."

Hermione rolled her eyes and scooped mash potatoes on to her plate. "We need to make bathroom arrangements."

"May I ask why?" Draco inquired, taking some steamed vegetables from a plate passed to him.

"So we're not fighting for the shower in the morning. I prefer to wash in the morning because it wakes me up."

Draco worked his mouth several times before reluctantly admitting, "Me too."

Blaise imputed, "I have to take them at night. They put me to sleep."

"Same," Pansy said.

Harry shrugged, "I don't care when I take one-,"

"Yeah," Ron agreed.

"Okay well Potter, Parkinson, and Zabini will shower at night and me, Ron and Malfoy will shower in the morning."

"I have to take it first," Draco ordered.

"Why?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"I don't want you to use up all the hot water. If I don't get a hot shower in the morning, I get really . . . cranky."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Could you be anymore spoiled?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Jealous, Weasley?"

Harry shot back, "Of what, Zabini?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Grow up."

Draco said, "I'd listen to your girlfriend if I were you."

Hermione rounded on Draco. "Go fuck yourself, Malfoy."

Pansy tutted, "Such language for a Gryffindork."

"Learn your houses. Gryffindors are brave, not prude."

Blaise argued, "Says _you_!"

"Do tell me: on what grounds does it say that Gryffindors are prudes?"

Draco answered, "The same grounds that say Slytherins are evil."

"That's a completely different matter. You can assume that Slytherins are evil," Harry put in.

"How?"

"Slytherins are sly and cunning creatures . . . much like snakes. Their mascot: a snake! Now where have I seen _that _before? Oh yeah! In the Bible, the DEVIL took the form of a _snake_ to tempt Eve into biting the apple that will be the birth of sin. Now if that isn't evil, I don't know what is."

Draco shook his head and dug back into his food, a gesture that said, 'I won't even dignify that with a response.' He reached over and grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice. While he was pouring Blaise moved and bumped his arm, causing him to pour pumpkin juice all over his lap. The Gryffindors' chews slowed as they watched in curiosity. Blaise stared wide eyed at Draco's lap. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-,"

Draco stood up. They saw the last of the pumpkin juice disappear into his pants be fore he strode off quickly into the bathroom.

Ron shook his head, digging into his steak. "Malfoy's such a priss. He looked like he was in pain or something."

Pansy gave Blaise a look out of the corner of her eye. They glared at Ron, stood up, and walked up to the bathroom door. Pansy knocked and waited patiently.

Ron shook his head and returned to his food. "We are never gonna get out of here."

* * *

Draco stood up and hurried to the bathroom. He closed the door and staggered to the sink. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his hand tightly around the edges as he felt the curse start to course through his body. Where the drink had touched his skin, an excruciating burning sensation had started. Draco could feel the fever coming as well. He felt weak and cold. His legs gave out. He felt the cool tile floor on his cheek for a moment before he forced himself to his knees again. He heard a knock on the door. There was a long pause be fore he forced out a 'what' from his clenched teeth.

Pansy asked tentatively, "Can we come in?"

His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. He braced himself for the worst part of the curse. Draco bit his tongue as he felt the sensation of salt in the burn begin and start to heighten. He let out a soft cry but managed to cover it with a cough. The pain was unbelievable. . .

"Draco, is it that bad?" Blaise asked, worried.

Draco moaned and his vision clouded.

"Let us in!" Pansy exclaimed.

He tried to tell them he was fine but his mouth wouldn't work right. His throat and mouth felt dry and his tongue suddenly felt too thick for his mouth.

The door opened and closed as they let themselves in. Draco tried to raise his head but it felt so heavy. Blaise said a spell to keep the door locked. Pansy grabbed one of Draco's arms and tried to pull him up.

"Blaise help me get him up!"

Blaise came and grabbed Draco's other arm and with great effort they turned Draco around and pulled him up to a sitting position on the counter. Draco's head dropped on his chest. She removed his glasses. Blaise lifted his head up by his chin and looked into Draco's glazed gray eyes. Pansy grabbed a vial from her robe pocked and put it in Blaise's outstretched hand. Blaise patted Draco's cheek gently. "Come on Draco, you got to take this."

Draco's eyelids drooped shut and Blaise patted his cheeks a little harder. His eyelids fluttered open for a brief moment and then closed again. Blaise then opened his mouth and poured his moth and poured the contents into it. Draco's eyes drifted open and they lost the glazed look the fever had caused. The potion made him feel better and that was the point. It dulled the pain a bit and got rid of the fever but he still felt weak.

Blaise gave Draco a quick once over and then down at her hands. "I'm sorry, Draco. I really didn't mean to-,"

"It's okay," Draco muttered. "I'm fine, just a bit tired."

Pansy asked, "Does it hurt?"

Draco shook his head. The pain was still there but he could deal with this. "I'm just gonna rest this weekend. I did the bulk of my homework days ago."

With the help of his friends, Draco heaved himself off the floor. He swayed on his feet for a moment and then caught himself.

Pansy inquired, "Can you walk?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but not for long. I'll just make my way to the closest couch and crash there."

Blaise nodded, checking her watch. "I'm gonna take a shower and then meet you guys."

With that, Pansy opened the door and Draco shot out of the bathroom toward the nearest couch like he'd said. He was asleep before his head hit a cushion. Pansy walked back to the dinner table and whatever conversation the Gryffindors were having stopped when she sat down. She replaced her napkin on her lap and resumed eating.

Ron looked at Draco and back at Pansy. He opened and closed his mouth several times thinking of saying something. Pansy, without lifting her head, wiped her mouth with a napkin and said briskly, "If you have something to say Weasel, say it. You look like fish."

He shut his mouth when Hermione and Harry looked at him. He replied indignantly, "I was chewing."

Pansy looked up with a quirked eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

She nodded slowly with a 'sure you were' smile on her face. "In that case," she began, taking a last sip from her goblet and balling up her napkin. "You chew like a horse." She stood up and smirked at Ron's glare.

Pansy walked to where Draco was laying and knelt by his side. She placed her hand on his back and started rubbing soft circles like Draco did when she was feeling ill. "Are you sleeping?" She asked quietly so to not attract the other's attention.

Draco's eyes flickered open and then shut again. He mumbled, "I was."

Pansy stopped rubbing. "Sorry."

Draco muttered, "S'okay."

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Cause if you want anything I can get if for you."

He smiled lazily, "S'okay."

"Are you sure?"

There was a slight pause and then he asked, "Can you get me a blanket?"

Pansy grabbed a blanket from the opposite couch and unfolded it. "Cold?" she asked. He turned himself onto his back and then he replied softly, "Yeah." She laid it on top of him and mumbled a thank you. She looked closely at Draco. "You look a bit flushed."

"Mm-mmm."

"You're telling me you don't look feverish when I can see your cheeks are started to flush and you're starting to perspire?"

Another pause and another mumble: "Mm-hmm."

Pansy got up rolling her eyes. She walked to the bathroom door and knocked.

Blaise called, "Who is it?"

"It's me. Open up!" After hearing the click, Pansy opened the door. Blaise was in bra and panties putting on lotion. She looked up and asked, "How is he?"

Pansy opened the linen closet and brought out a white washcloth. "The fever came back." She walked to one of the sinks and ran the cloth under cold water.

Blaise had finished with the lotion and had started putting on her pajama bottoms. She inquired, "After the potion?"

Pansy shrugged, shutting off the faucet. "If you remember," she wrung out the cloth, "we were rushing when we made it. The wormwood was stirred for one minute instead of three."

She had just gotten her PJ bottoms on and was putting on a white cami. "Draco said it wouldn't matter much," Blaise said.

"And it doesn't. We didn't make the potion for the fever. It's to numb the pain." Pansy opened the door and Blaise followed. They kneeled in front of Draco. Before she put the cloth on she felt Draco's forehead. The fever felt pretty high but she'd dealt with worse. She daubed the cold, wet cloth on his cheek. Draco's head snapped to the right in attempt to shy away from the cloth and a soft groan escaped from his lips. After Draco's head fell back, Pansy dabbed the cloth on his temple. Draco's eyebrows furrowed as he snapped his head away and his moan got a little louder.

Pansy sighed, exasperated. Blaise put a hand on Draco's back and whispered, "Nous savons c'est froid mais nous devons réduire la fièvre. Calmes toi-même, d'accord?"

Pansy thought she saw the slightest nod and hoped she wasn't wrong. She hesitated and then patted the cloth on his face again. Draco stiffened and his eyebrows furrowed again but he didn't cry out. As he got used to the washcloth he gradually relaxed.


	4. Professor Dessen's Tale

**Professor Dessen's Tale**

Chapter Four

Draco's fever ebbed but he still felt weak. When most of the professors came in to check on them, they found him sleeping on the couch. In addition, they also found that the students were being just as uncooperative as they were at the previous check up.

After lunch on Saturday, Professor Snape found Harry and Ron playing Wizards Chest at the table, Hermione curled in a recliner reading a book, and Pansy and Blaise doing homework in front of the couch Draco was laying on.

During dinner, Professor McGonagall noted how they were perfectly fine with passing food to their own housemates but were incapable of doing so for the opposite house. Instead, they would place the dish back on the table instead of in the hand that was waiting expectantly.

Draco woke up early Sunday morning. He woke up feeling much better. His other roommates were still sleeping and the sun hadn't come out yet. His fever had cleared up and the pain on his thighs had completely dissipated. He just felt a bit overtired. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Draco stood up and then fell back on the couch.

"Shit," he muttered to himself. He stretched out his legs and started punching them lightly to get the blood circulating again. After a minute or two, he tried again and this time his legs held him up. He made his way to the bathroom and took a shower. Then he walked out to his trunk to get clothes and his hair gel. Once he was done, he brought out other homework that was uncompleted and finished them on the coffee table by the fire. When he'd finished he checked his watch. It read 5:03 a.m. He put his work away and then went back to sleep on the couch.

* * *

The next time he woke up it was 8 o'clock and this time he wasn't the only one awake. Harry was sitting at the table eating breakfast. He ate quickly like someone who just got out of jail. He recognized it from the way his father ate when he'd gotten out of Azkaban. Harry hunched over the food and taking big, quick bites as if the food could disappear at any moment. And now he was sharing a room with the reason his father was there in the first place. How was his father okay with that?

His stomach growled scurrying his thoughts away. When was the last time he ate? It felt like his stomach was going to eat itself. He looked over at the beds and scowled. These teachers just won't quit.

Each queen sized bed had their name plates at the foot. The boys were opposite the girls and his bed, to his great discomfort, was right in between Potter and Weasley. He only got slight satisfaction in the fact that Granger was between his friends as well. His belly growled again.

_'Fuck it,'_ he thought as he got up from his resting place. He wasn't going to let one Gryffindork get in the way of his morning meal. He sat down in a chair across from Harry and started helping himself to pancakes and bacon.

* * *

"You guys aren't making this any easier upon yourselves. The longer you refuse to cooperate, the longer you stay in here," Professor Dessen said as she examined her nails. It was a bit before dinner and it was her turn to check on them.

"Sit still!" Pansy exclaimed. Professor Dessen looked up startled by the outburst. Pansy rolled her eyes and said, "Not _you_." She turned back to Blaise who was posing for her canvas. "If you don't sit still I will _make _you."

"I am!"

Draco looked up from his school work. "Hey, what's that charm you use for levitation again?"

Pansy and Blaise stared at him and said in a 'duh' manner, "Wingardium leviosa?"

"Right," he returned to his work nodding, "just checking."

"I'm serious guys. You aren't going to get out of here by ignoring each other."

Pause.

"Well how do are you planning on getting out of here?"

Draco sighed and put down his quill. "I figured I can ignore them until break. Slytherins only playing a game or two until then and I am well on my way to convincing myself that I can deal with missing one game. Then I will go home for break and tell my father that this idea was ridiculous and he should sue because I'm sure there must be some law in locking us up like this. It can't be healthy for us." He looked at Dessen with a look of contempt. "And I don't see why you're so pressed about us getting along with them anyway. What's this got to do with _you_?"

"Everything."

"Really now?" he leaned forward in his seat and continued, "I was under the impression that this cruel and unusual punishment was about us being 'prejudice.' In what way does that concern you?"

"Come off it, Malfoy!" Hermione shouted from her seat in a recliner.

He smirked at her, "And I suppose _you're _gonna make me, Mudbl-,"

"Come over here," Professor Dessen ordered. Harry and Ron glanced up from their game and Hermione peeked from the top of her book. They each gave her puzzled looks.

Pansy raised an eyebrow from behind her aisle. "Why?"

Professor Dessen answered, "I want to tell you guys a story."

Blaise rolled her eyes from her pose. She said sarcastically, "Did you hear that Draco? It's story time!"

Draco smirked as he sat down on the green sofa. Pansy took her wand and said a spell that took Blaise's picture. Then she covered her painting and walked to where Draco was sitting. Blaise joined him on the couch while she sat by Draco's feet. She grabbed her hairbrush and held it out to him. He took it and began to brush her chestnut locks. Harry and Ron sat next to each other on the opposite couch. Hermione bookmarked her page and shut the book.

Professor Dessen opened her bag and brought out a six-pack of Butterbeer. She opened each one and handed it to each of the teens. "Tell me, what do you know about your potions professor?"

"He's a bitter pale man with greasy black hair with a hooked nose the size of a parrot's beak that had a slight obsession with my aunt," Blaise answered swiftly.

The Gryffindors coughed into their drinks and Professor Dessen smiled wryly, "Well do you have any clue why he's so bitter?"

Pansy leaned her head on Draco's inner thigh. "Is it the nose?"

"No-,"

"Because that would make me bitter. I feel really bad for ugly people I mean, they were born that way and if they try to change something significant like Snape's nose, EVERYONE would know because it was so bad in the first place. God, I'm so glad I don't have any friends that are ugly."

Draco shook his head with a soft smile, "Pansy, that was _so _profound."

"Yeah, it touched me deeply," Blaise added.

Pansy chuckled softly.

Blaise continued, "Anyway, didn't he have an older sister that was disowned?"

"What!" The Gryffindors all exclaimed.

Draco nodded, "Yeah, she went off, married a muggleborn, and that was the last we all heard about her."

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. You just told my story."

Hermione gasped, "You're Snape's _sister_?"

"No."

Blaise wrinkled her nose. "Eww."

"I'm not Snape's sister-,"

Ron asked, "Then what were you talking about Snape for?"

"Because he's my uncle!"

There was a silence and then a soft 'oh' from Hermione.

"Yes, my mother and Severus were very close growing up and she had to leave him because her parents didn't approve of her fiancé's blood-,"

Pansy exclaimed, "Don't try to sugarcoat it. Your mother refused to marry the man your grandparents arranged for her—which, by the way, so happens to be one of my uncles on my father's side, then on top of that she befriended, fell in love with, and decided to marry a Mudblood. Leaving Severus and the rest of her family, was her choice."

"My mother had no father to give her away and no family sitting on the bride's side on her wedding day-,"

"Well that was your mother's decision. Before one's disowned, their family gives them a choice to receive punishment to atone for their wrongdoings and to do as they were asked or to be disowned. Your mother chose to be disowned so it was her own fault she had no family on her wedding day."

"I'm not denying that she chose to be disowned rather and to comply with the rules-,"

"Then what is the point of the story?"

"The point of the story is that _she shouldn't have had to make that decision in the first place_! Her family should have been there and supported her decision to marry—muggle or not. That's what families are supposed to do. They stand by your side through thick and thin but because of that prejudice that had been bred into them, like it's been bred into you, they let it break them apart. This is why you're in here: to keep this from happening to you and other people."

Draco stopped brushing Pansy's hair. "That's nice of you all and everything but, I highly doubt any of us are going to risk being disowned for a Mudblood."

"You will cease using that term, Mr. Malfoy."

"Why?" Blaise asked.

"Because there is no such thing as dirty blood. Blood is blood. Dirty blood makes about as much sense as clean shit. Shit is shit. It stinks." Professor Dessen stood up and stared at the Gryffindors. "And you three need to realize that the prejudice between you guys isn't a one way thing. You have never once tried to be civil to a Slytherin because you believe they would take a wand out and kill you, your family, and anyone else connected to you if they had the chance. Much like how they have never approached a Muggleborn because they believe that Muggleborns are nasty, filthy creatures that are beneath them and have no right in the Wizarding World. Its human nature: people hate what they don't understand." She walked to the entrance. As it opened up she turned around and stared sternly at the six of them. "I want you guys to think about what I said." And with that, she stepped out of the common room.


	5. Back to Reality

**Back to Reality**

Chapter Five

Believe it or not, they did think about what Professor Dessen said. Hermione thought about it as she returned to the book she was reading. Harry and Ron were thinking about it as they resumed their chess game. Blaise was thinking about it as she sat next to Draco, who was still brushing Pansy's hair. They too, were thinking about it.

They thought about how true Professor Dessen's words are. As a child in the Slytherin community one of the first things you're taught is that Muggleborns are inferior to you. They are anomalies. Them doing magic was just as ridiculous as a unicorn trying to walk on it's hind legs.

Ron, being the only one of his friends that grew up in the Wizarding World, recalled his mother and father telling him and his siblings before they started school to stay away from the Slytherins.

"_They're dangerous," Mr. Weasley warned._

"_They're shifty-," Mrs. Weasley added._

"_Stay away from them!" They said in unison._

And Harry thought about how a lot of people said 'Slytherins' with almost the same amount of disgust people use when they call Muggleborns Mudbloods. What does it all mean? That-

'_We are every bit as prejudice as they are,' _Hermione thought. _'No one notices it because we're Gryffindors, the heroes, the ones who save the day in the nick of time. There's no way we could ever be prejudice, right?' _She shook her head. _'Wr-,'_

"_-ong. So wrong," _Pansy thought. _'Wasn't that what Mother had been trying to tell me all these years? That Muggles and Muggleborns aren't as bad as Dad makes them out to be? I mean, Draco's father went and got-,'_

'_That stupid, vile lady pregnant. And she knew he was married. She just agreed to be his mistress and that is low.' _Draco paused brushing, thought for a moment, and then concluded, _'Okay not _all _Muggleborns are bad but there are still filthy ones, like that whore, who are beneath me just like how-,'_

'_Not all Slytherins are bad,' Ron thought as he got a checkmate. 'But-,'_

'_There are ones would kill me because of my blood-,'_

'_Like Voldemort,' _Harry finished. _'Some of them are bad-,'_

'_But not all of them,' _they concluded in unison.

'_Dumbledore has been saying that since Fifth Year. Why did it only click when Professor Dessen said it?' _Blaise thought.

'_Because she talked to us like a peer, instead of a scolding parent,' _Draco pondered. And just like that a new thought was on everybody's minds.

_What do we do now?_

Hermione shook her head. _'It's not like we can just go up to them and say-,'_

"Hey, let's start over!" Draco suggested. "I'm sorry for all those years of calling you Mudblood, Hermione. It was wrong of me. And Weasel, I apologize for making fun of your family's poverty. It's not your fault that your family wasn't blessed like mine. Friends?"

"Friends!" Everyone got up to hug each other laughing and grinning. Then miraculously, all the bolts opened at once and then "Why Can't We Be Friends" began playing in the background. The love that was generating in the room exploded like fireworks into vibrant colors around them. Somewhere in his evil lair Voldemort woke up from his much, much, much, much, _**much **_needed beauty rest and he said to himself-

"I'm going to stop chasing after Mudbloods and Muggles. They're my friends!" He looked skyward and said, "Father, if you can hear me, I forgive you for abandoning mother when you found out she was a witch and I hope you can forgive me for killing you and your parents."

**The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End?**

Don't get it twisted, there was _some _truth to what I said up there. The six of them did think about what Professor Dessen said. Then the two little devils on either side of Pansy, Draco, and Blaise's shoulders said, "Pfft!" Here's what _really _happened.

Pansy ran her fingers through her chestnut locks. She stared at the shut portrait hole rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "What a drama queen."

Hermione sputtered, "God, could you be _anymore _heartless? Her mother was disowned from her family!"

Blaise scoffed, "Do you have any idea how many people in our family have been disowned?"

Draco counted off on his long thin fingers, "My mother's little sister married a muggle, her cousin hung out with Gryffindorks too much, and my father's older brother was gay."

Blaise counted, "My mother had a gay brother who ran off with Pansy's uncle on her mom's side, my father had an older brother who wanted to marry someone other than the person assigned and another brother attended the wedding."

Pansy listed, "Besides my mother's little brother running off with their uncle, my father's brother kept in touch with some of the others that were disowned. That's seven and you don't see _us _whining about it."

Harry shook his head, "Your families are more screwed up then I thought."

"Look here Potter," Blaise pointed a finger and countered, "Our families have rules just like any other family. Our punishment methods might be a tad bit harsher but every family is different."

Ron argued, "Don't give us that crap, your families are demented. They toss you out for the littlest reasons. 'Oh my God, you're gay? Get out of our house—no you know what? We'll pretend you never existed. Children, you no longer have a brother.'" He looked up from the game and snarled in disgust, "Who the hell kicks people out of their family in the first place? Percy sided with the Ministry instead of our family in Fifth Year and when he realized we were right we didn't shun him."

Draco smirked, "Well our families have high standards. Maybe if yours did they wouldn't be so poor."

Ron would have hit Draco. The minute Draco finished his sentence he'd stood up and pushed Harry away with anger-induced strength and he was well across the room until Harry grabbed his arm and held him back. Through all this, Draco had continued to brush Pansy's hair with the same slow strokes. He was (in Ron's opinion) annoyingly unperturbed at the fact his roommate wanted to rearrange his face.

Harry said, "Ron, leave it alone. He's not worth it."

Draco smirked, "Ha!"

Hermione put her book down and glared darkly at Draco. Harry turned around but still kept a grip on Ron's arm. "If you don't shut _up_, Malfoy, I will let Ron go and help him wipe that stupid smirk off your face."

"If the Weasel were to touch Draco, his father would sue you for everything he has," Blaise answered.

"Which isn't much," Draco snickered.

Ron spat, "My family might not have much, but at least _my _father didn't impregnate some woman while married to my mother!"

Harry dropped Ron's arms in shock and Hermione gasped, "Oh my God!"

Draco and Blaise sat frozen in their seats. Pansy was the only who did anything. She grabbed her hairbrush and threw it at Ron's forehead. Ron rubbed his head and cursed. Pansy stood up and strode over to him raising her hand to slap him. Her arm was in mid-swing when someone grabbed it.

Pansy turned around to see Hermione grabbing her wrist. Her lip snarled in disgust, "Let me go, _Mudblood_."

"That's it!" Hermione twisted her arm and pushed her to the ground. Pansy fell on her stomach and was startled when Hermione sat on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She gasped when Hermione pulled her hair to lift her face off the ground and yelled, "If you ever call me a Mudblood again, I will make you regret the day you were born!" Pansy growled and twisted on to her back. Hermione's eyes were dark with rage pinned her wrists to the ground and shouted, "Do you hear me?"

Pansy smirked, "Yeah, I hear you." Then she spat in Hermione's face. Hermione, surprised, let go and Pansy was able to push her off. She then stood up and dragged Hermione across the floor by her hair.

Hermione screamed, "Get off me!" She groped fruitlessly for Pansy's hand but the petite Slytherin was moving her hand in all sorts of directions to keep out of reach of Hermione's hand. Hermione put one hand on the base of the hairs being pulled (to reduce the pain) and a put her other hand directly on top and worked it slowly up her locks to locate Pansy's hand, which she pinched and twisted.

Pansy let go and rubbed her hand muttering, "Stupid Mudblood."

Hermione quickly got to her feet and slapped Pansy across her face. Pansy touched her quickly reddening cheek in shock then her face went from surprised to pissed off. She grabbed hold of Hermione's throat and started closing her windpipe. Hermione grabbed at her hand but Pansy had a surprisingly strong and firm grip. As energy started to leave her Hermione swung her dug her nails into Pansy's cheek and scratched. Pansy release her hold and then Harry bumped into her.

Hermione coughed for air and then tackled Pansy into the ground. Pansy was re-pinned to the ground but she fought hard to get her hands out of Hermione's clutch. She pulled her arms hard but her arms didn't give an inch under Hermione's weight. She then lifter her head in the air as far as possible and tried biting Hermione's face. She remained unsuccessful and then decided to aim lower. Before Hermione realized what she was doing, Pansy sank her teeth into Hermione's hand.

With a startled cry, Hermione let go and Pansy rolled on top of Hermione. "Scratch me?" she asked pointing to her face. "I'll scratch you." She dug both sets of nails on either side of Hermione's face and dug deep enough to draw blood. Hermione screamed and started kicking in the air.

While this was happening Draco and Blaise had snapped out of their stupor. Draco's eyes locked with Ron's and a fiery rage overcame him. The fire in the fireplace flared dangerously high as he lunged at the red head and punched him in his right eye. Ron grabbed his face and Harry grabbed Draco off his best friend. Before he got a chance to deck Malfoy, Blaise gave him a surprisingly hard shove. Harry turned to Blaise and said, "I am not going to hit a girl."

Blaise smirked, "Are you sure about that?" Then she swiftly dropped to the ground and did one of those swinging kicks to trip Harry. He gasped as the wind was temporarily knocked out of him. Blaise took this time to pull him by his hair away from her cousin so he could return to dealing with Ron. Harry chuckled to himself and tried sitting up saying, "I'm not going to hit you, Zabini."

Blaise gave him a hard kick in his chest that knocked the wind from him again and pinned him on the ground with a black Mary Jane. She shook her head at him and sneered, "You're more pathetic then I thought Potter." She moved her shoe to Harry's throat and slowly increased pressure. Harry grabbed her foot with Seeker reflexes and twisted it sideways. Blaise flew in the air and fell on her stomach. She felt Harry grab her by the wrist and winced as he twisted her hand painfully up her back.

"Get up," He ordered.

Blaise sneered but obeyed. She took her time but stood in front of the Gryffindor. She shifted uncomfortably in his grip and said, "I thought you didn't hit girls."

Harry replied, "I don't and I didn't." Blaise continued to shift and he asked, "Am I hurting you?"

Blaise rolled her eyes. "No this feels _de_lightful. I love having my arm twisted just like that."

Harry almost laughed at her sarcasm but bit it back. He loosened his hold and then Blaise got her hand completely free and punched him in his groin. "Oh my God," he gasped and he grabbed his privates.

Blaise stood in front of him, massaging her wrist, and glaring. Harry's emerald green eyes looked into her cobalt ones. Then she kneed him in his nose and pushed him. He felt himself bump into someone and stumbled over his feet to the ground. Blaise sat on top of his chest and pinned him down, smirking.

"You have integrity. I'll give you that Potter, but it could get you killed someday."

Harry gasped under her weight. Blaise sat on his ribcage making it hard for him to breathe. "I'd rather fight honestly and lose then win by cheating."

Blaise studied him and said, "But if _you _lose, the whole wizarding world will go down with you."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Hermione's screams.

Once Potter was pulled away Draco turned back to Ron who looked ready to spit fire. The two of them stared at each other for a moment and then they went at it. Ron managed to put Draco in a headlock.

Draco tried to push him off with no success. Then he was on the ground. Draco had kicked his feet out from under him. Now Draco was on top of him and beating his head to the ground repeatedly. Ron flailed his hands around in hopes of a lucky shot. He was granted a nice uppercut and had the satisfaction of seeing Draco Malfoy's head snap to the left but the feeling dissipated when Draco regained composure. He grabbed one of Ron's wrists, simultaneously maneuvering him to lie on his stomach, and twisted it up his back.

Ron tried to stop him with his other hand but Draco grabbed that as well so now both hands were captive. Ron struggled against Draco's hold but to no avail. Draco had an iron grip and would not let go despite his strains.

Ron growled, "Let go! I'm getting bruised." Draco responded with twisting his arm further. "Ow!"

"That'll teach you to talk about my family," Draco said as he tightened his grasp.

Ron sputtered in disbelief, "Malfoy you are such a (wince) hypocrite! Do you know how many (wince) times you've said stuff about _my_ family in the last (wince) six years?"

Draco shook his head, "That is completely different."

"How?!" Ron asked. Draco answered by pulling Ron's arm up a notch on his back and another grip tighten. In all this Ron remembered Dumbledore telling them-

_If you guys do any dueling or fighting besides for school . . . a letter to your parents and a game guaranteed to be missed of Quidditch_

"Malfoy get off me!" Ron renewed his struggles to get out. "If they see these bruises they'll know we've been fighting."

"_No_, if they see them, they'll know we've been fighting and _you_ lost," Draco smirked.

"We're not supposed to fight! We'll get a letter to our parents and miss a game of Quidditch!"

"Shit!" Malfoy immediately let go of the Gryffindors arms that were ,in fact, starting to bruise and got up from his back. Now that the Weasel mentioned it, he did recall Dumbledore saying that.

Ron got up, massaging his injured wrists. If any of the teachers saw him he'd definitely be out of one of the Quidditch games and he couldn't have that. He hated school. Besides his friends and Wizard's Chest, Quidditch was the only other source of fun. And his mother! She would already be ticked off about the "grounded" issue but if she got another letter about him she'd be _furious. _If he shut his eyes he could hear her screaming already ringing in his ears . . .

It took a moment for Ron to realize that the screaming he heard was real and it wasn't coming from his mother. He opened his eyes to see Hermione kicking and screaming under Pansy, who had her pinned to the ground. He was about to go help her when Draco went over and peeled Pansy away from her. Pansy stood breathing rapidly through her mouth and glaring down at Hermione. Ron walked over to Hermione to help her up and then he saw her face. On either sides of her cheeks were four-finger tracks of blood, running from her cheekbone to her mouth and they looked_ deep. _

"Merlin," Ron muttered. He sat on the floor next to Hermione who, although was sitting up, looked frozen with shock. He looked up at Pansy and yelled, "What is _wrong _with you? Do you _see _what you did to her face?"

Pansy scoffed, "Did you see what she did to _my _face?" She turned her head to the left to reveal four tracks of blood that were no where near as bad as the scratches on Hermione's face. After snapping out of her stupor, told her so.

"What you did to me was way worse then what I did to you and you know it," Hermione said, tenderly touching the scratches.

Pansy shrugged Draco's hands off her shoulders. "I'd say we're about square, Granger."

Hermione scoffed and pointed at her neck, "You _choked _me!"

By this time, Blaise had gotten off Harry and stood by her friends' side and Harry by his. As they stood looking at each other they noted the damages done to both sides. Draco had a bruise forming and swelling on his right cheek and his neck was still red from the headlock Ron had put him in. Ron's back and ass was aching from the fall and he did indeed have bruises on his wrists. Harry and Blaise were both sore from when they tripped each other. Blaise's arms hurt a lot from when Harry twisted it but she'd never openly admit that. Harry's groin was throbbing, he had a bloody nose, and he'd busted his lip when he fell down. Besides the scratches, Pansy's cheek was still red from Hermione's slap and there was a bruise in the form of hand on Hermione's neck and a bite mark on her hand. This didn't look good. This didn't look good at _all_.

But it seemed that only Ron and Draco understood this. Pansy had sighed, "Well I guess we can tell who won _that _fight." She smirked and high fived Blaise who stared at the others pointedly.

"Well whoever 'won the fight' is going to get in the _most _trouble," Draco said surveying the injuries.

"What?" Blaise looked at him with disbelief.

Ron smirked, "He means you three are going to get in more trouble for fighting."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! We barely touched you!" Harry, Hermione, and Ron gave her "what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about?" looks.

Pansy scoffed, "Well, that's not fair! We were provoked. Besides it wasn't just us. It takes two to fight, which means _you're _in trouble too!"

"Well, they don't have to know . . . do they? If we clean up before any of the teachers see us," Harry offered.

Ron asked, "Alright who knows Healing Charms?" Everyone looked at Hermione.

"Don't look at _me;_ we're supposed to be learning them next week."

"Hermione…" Harry sighed. "You're slacking.

Draco looked at Pansy and Blaise. "Do you guys have any Healing Potion or something?"

"We'll check," Pansy said. She and Blaise walked over to their trunks and searched it for some sort of healing remedy. The remaining four looked on with crossed fingers and high hopes. Pansy searched everywhere. She could have sworn she had some left somewhere in there. Blaise had better luck.

"Found some!" Everyone sighed with relief.

She pulled out the blue glass vial and shut her trunk. She took a sip and passed it down the line, waiting for the potion to take affect. Pansy poured some in her mouth and passed it along to Draco, who passed it to Hermione, who passed it to Ron, who passed it to Harry and back to Blaise. She screwed the top back on and put it back in her trunk.

Hermione asked, "Why do you keep Healing Potion in your trunk?"

Blaise rolled her eyes and was about to say a smart comment when Ron interrupted, "Who cares? It's a good thing she did, otherwise we'd be out another game in Quidditch and my mother would have a hissy fit if she got another letter from the school."

"Thank you," Blaise said. After the brief silence she realized who exactly she was thanking. She added quickly, "Weasley." Then the familiar 'pops!' of the food sounded and they all sat down to eat.

(There's a break here. The website just has issues)

"Could you pass the . . . the . . ." Draco furrowed his eyebrows and snapped his fingers trying to get the word in English.

Ron looked up from his food and asked, "The what?"

"That," Draco answered as he pointed to the dish in front of him. "Le jambon."

"The _what?_"

Pansy spoke up, "The ham."

Ron picked it up and passed it to him. Draco added more to his plate and then handed it back to Ron. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Hermione pointed to the mashed potatoes in front of Blaise. She picked it up and handed it to her. Hermione thanked her and Blaise said, "This right here," gesturing at the whole dinner "does not mean we like you."

Hermione made a small 'unbelievable' smile and asked, "What does it mean, then? Tell me."

"It means the chances of us liking you have gone from negative 5 to 0. Meaning there's _still _no chance of us becoming friends."

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever, Zabini. It shows progress. Maybe if we can get to a tolerable level, they'll let us out early."

Blaise snorted, "Don't hold your breath."

Harry suggested, "Let's just be civil in public tomorrow. I know they'll think we're faking but it'll show we're at least making an effort, you know?"

"Well what do you mean by 'civil?'" Pansy asked biting into a carrot. "Do you mean ignoring you guys instead of insulting like we usually do, which shows progress, or do we actually have to talk to you and make conversation?"

"No insults and I guess we'll . . . we'll try to make conversation but lets not push it, okay?" Draco asked eating the last of his vegetables. Everyone agreed, got ready for bed and then went to sleep.

(There's a break here. The website just has issues)

In the morning, the six students woke up and went about as usual. Draco, Ron, and Hermione joined Harry, Pansy, and Blaise for breakfast after having their morning showers and gotten ready. They ate their breakfast in silence each brooding over their first day of school 'grounded.' Before long Hermione checked her watch and said, "Time to go." Everyone gathered their stuff and slowly migrated to the portrait hole. In front of it they could hear chatter from the other side coming from passing students. Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Remember, be civil—no insults." The others nodded and waited as the portrait began to open.

Outside the hole was a crowd of students who had stopped to stare curiously at the painting. The students fell silent as the painting opened to reveal the six students in said portrait. The looks of confusion turned into looks of accusations. A Fourth Year Ravenclaw asked, "What's going on?"

"Yeah!"

"What is this?"

"All of a sudden you're friends with _them_?"

Hermione, Ron, and Harry were scared. They found themselves at a loss. Sure, they wanted to get off punishment but was it worth having the whole school looking at you like you're some kind of criminal that committed the ULTIMATE crime? Hermione and Ron have never been looked at in such a degrading way and Harry, who had gone through this in Second, Fourth, and Fifth Year _still _couldn't get used to the dirty looks. What were the professors thinking? They didn't have the power to unite the school together. They held no sway to the thoughts and opinions of the other students of Hogwarts. This wasn't going to work.

Hermione turned to Draco to tell him so but his intense glare stopped her. "Save it," he whispered. He aimed his gaze upon the crowd of students and announced, "No need to worry, folks. You could hardly call me and the Mudblood _friends_." Hermione forced herself not to flinch. She deserved that. She watched as Draco made quick sidelong glances at Blaise and Pansy, who followed suit.

Blaise smirked as she walked towards the other Slytherins, "Like I'd let The-Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Die anywhere near _me_?" Draco and Pansy followed them. Pansy grinned and jumped on Goyle's back, "Ew, I would never let Weasel give me a piggy back ride. The guy can't afford to pay attention!" She and her Housemates laughed as they headed to their first period classes.

The other Houses watched them leave with disgust.

"They are _so _mean!"

"It must suck to have to live with them all the time!"

"How do you put up with them?"

Hermione, Ron, and Harry looked at each other with looks of guilt. The first tiny bump in the road and they gave up. What the Slytherins said had hurt, but they deserved every word.


	6. Eight Legged Freaks

**Eight-Legged Freaks**

Chapter Six

The Gryffindors and the Slytherins had separate classes all morning. They only had a chance to apologize during their first break. Hermione, Ron, and Harry came in and found them doing homework by the fireplace. After they put their bags down by the entrance hole, they came and stood by the fire waiting to get their opposing housemates' attention. But the Slytherins continued with their homework, ignoring their presence. They waited for a time and Hermione was just about to clear her throat when Blaise spoke up, not pausing in her writing.

"Do you have something to say, or are you just going to stand there?"

"Um-,"

"I mean I _know_ we're good looking but this is getting ridiculous," Pansy gave a quick, playful grin at Draco, who smirked in response, and then they both continued working.

"Well . . . we wanted to apologize," Harry said.

"For what?" Blaise fixed her steady gaze on them.

"For this morning," Ron answered. "It was-,"

"This _morning_," Draco started, as he paused on his Herbology essay. "This morning was a bit of disappointment. I mean," he stared at them with intense grey eyes. "I thought Gryffindors were made of stronger stuff than that. Then again . . ." he paused at the guilty looks he was receiving then returned to his assignment and continued, "Then again, it only proved what we've been saying from the beginning."

Hermione whispered, "What's that?"

"That _Gryffindorks_," he put an exaggerated emphasis on the name and laced it with a hint of disgust. "Aren't as brave as people play them up to be."

Ron began, "Look, we're sorry if we hurt you in any way-."

"_Hurt _us? Goodness, no. Shocked? Yeah. What you guys pulled was something I'd expect from one us," Blaise smirked. "I guess we underestimated you-,"

Hermione exclaimed, "No! We aren't like that. We were just . . . overwhelmed. We didn't know they would act like that. It won't happen again."

Pansy gave a fake sweet smile, "We won't _let _it happen again."

Draco shooed them away with his right hand, "Off you go."

Harry asked, "What do you want us to say?"

"Nothing!" Pansy said. "Absolutely, nothing. We'll tell whatever teacher that is popping in to check on us that this isn't going to work. Maybe they'll see sense and let us go."

But they didn't. Professor McGonagall said, "Where would we be in the world if everyone quit after one bump in the road, hmm? You guys are going to stick this out." So the Housemates found themselves ignoring each other for the next couple days. Neither house said a word to the opposite house . . . until Wednesday rolled around.

For a bit, it was just like any other morning. Draco, Hermione, and Harry took their showers and joined the others for breakfast but this morning they had a visitor. The portrait hole opened to reveal a worried looking Professor Dessen.

Hermione asked, "What's wrong?"

"Are you letting us out?" Pansy asked eagerly.

Professor sighed, "Yes."

"_Seriously?_"

"No! Stop asking. Ms. Zabini, can I talk to you for a second?"

Blaise nodded, "Sure." She put her napkin down on the table and walked over to the Dark Arts professor. The students watched Professor Dessen talking to Blaise in quiet tones. Then she pulled back and crossed her arms and Professor watched her for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Blaise nodded again.

"You sure? You look a bit pale. Well-," she smiled, "Paler than _usual_."

Blaise made a small grin and assured, "I'm fine, Professor."

"Alright," she turned to wave at the other students and then left. Blaise made her way over to her seat and sat down. Draco and Pansy stared at her expectantly and then she said, "_Engorgement _Charms." She shuddered and looked down at her plate. She pushed it away and asked, "Are you guys finished?"

"Yeah," Draco said. He, Blaise, and Pansy stood up, got their bags and left for class leaving the Gryffindors and their curiosities to wander what just happened.

(There's a break here. The website just has issues)

On Wednesday's, the Seventh Year Gryffindors and Slytherins end the day with Charms. Professor Flitwick stood in front of a chalkboard with _Engorgement Charms _written in large letters. Seeing this reminded the Hermione, Ron, and Harry of this morning. They searched the room and found Draco and Pansy talking to each other in the back with the other Slytherins but no sign of Blaise Zabini. _'Maybe she's sick_,' they thought as they returned their attention to the Charms professor.

"Today we will be learning about Engorgement Charms. Can anyone tell me what they do?" No one raised their hand to answer the question. "How about Ms. Granger?"

"Well they enlarge things," she answered.

"Excellent. Five points to Gryffindor." He clapped his hands together, "We'll be practicing the charms on spiders-,"

"DAMNIT!"

"Mr. Weasley, is there a problem?"

"Why spiders? No on in here likes spiders. I mean- come on, who in here likes spiders?"

Dean raised his hand. "I do."

"Ew, shut up!" Pansy said, throwing a crumpled piece of parchment at him. Students laughed at the exchange.

"Alright, simmer down. I'm sorry to say but we will be working with spiders. Now-," Professor flicked his wand and jars of spiders appeared in front of every student.

"HOLY SHIT!"

"MR. WEASLEY, IF YOU PLEASE!"

(There's a break here. The website just has issues)

"That was so-," Ron shuddered.

"We know," Hermione and Harry and answered back.

"That thing got to the size of my _hand_," Ron exclaimed.

"We _know_."

There was a pause and then-

"I mean, I have _huge _hands-,"

"RON, WE KNOW!"

The Slytherins had reached the portrait first but they hadn't said the password yet. Hermione asked, "Something wrong?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah, you mind not mentioning this Charms class once we go in there, Weasley?"

Ron asked, "Why?"

Draco shrugged and Pansy answered, "It's just really annoying."

"Am I really-,"

"Yeah," everyone answered in unison.

"Fine, fine. Equality," Ron said and the portrait hole opened. Blaise was sitting at the table doing homework. She looked up at the sudden sound and smiled when Pansy and Draco kissed her cheeks, a practice, the Gryffindors noticed, that was done in greeting to a friend they hadn't seen in awhile. They sat down on either side of her.

Pansy touched her shoulder, "How are you feeling?"

The Gryffindors, who had dropped their things by the entrance and sat opposite them, then noticed how sick Blaise looked. Her naturally pale skin looked sheet white, making her black curls and blue eyes stand out more than normal. Despite this, she smiled and said, "I'm fine."

"Did you take anything?" Draco asked. He, Pansy, and Hermione started getting out their books.

She shook her head. "I don't need anything when I have notice, you know?" Pansy nodded and the three of them continued to talk as they did their homework. Hermione was glaring at her two friends who stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?"

"To play Wizard's Chest," Ron answered.

"You guys were assigned some homework today. Aren't you going to do it?"

"Hermione, we have homework that's due tomorrow that we haven't finished. Doesn't it make sense to finish that first?"

"Of course!" Hermione paused, "….are you going to do it?"

"Not now."

"Ron!"

"Hermione, come on. We're not in the homework mood right now. We'll do it later."

Hermione shook her head, "This is exactly why you two end up doing your homework late at night."

"We won't end up doing our homework late at night."

They ended up doing their homework late at night. Hermione, Pansy, Draco, and Blaise turned in an hour or two after dinner. Blaise and Pansy took their showers; Blaise took a drink from a vial she keeps by her bedside and as the four of them were going to sleep, Harry and Ron were just getting started on their homework. Hours passed by.

Harry yawned as he looked at his watch. "It's one o'clock. Are you almost finished?"

"Yeah now all I have to do is Ancient Runes, you?"

"I just started on it. You're gonna need your book."

Ron rolled his eyes and searched his back pack for the book. All of a sudden he threw the bag across the room. Harry looked up from his work and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Dean put the spider in my bag!"

Harry dropped his quill and went over to the bag which landed by the boys' beds. He searched through it and then said, "It's not in here."

Ron stood up slowly on his chair and said, "That means it got out." He looked at Harry and asked, "Will you look for it?"

"Are you _serious_?"

"You think I would ask if it wasn't important?! Do you know what this is doing to my pride?!"

"Are you gonna help?"

"God no!"

"What the-!" he sighed and started looking around the area. He checked by and under his bed, came around and checked Ron's bed, and then he took a long sigh and searched by Draco's. He looked under the Slytherin's bed and found nothing. He came back up to tell Ron it wasn't over here but went still when he found two sleepy grey eyes looking back at him.

"What are you doing under my bed, Potter?"

Harry should have felt guilty for looking under his bed but just because it was Malfoy . . . he didn't. "I'm looking for something, Malfoy."

"I _realize _that. _What _are you looking for . . . under my bed-," he stopped to check his watch. "At one in the morning?"

"Dean had said he would put one of the spiders from Charms class in Ron's bag. Ron found it and threw the bag over here and the spider got out."

He expected a "Keep away from my stuff" or a "Well shut up, I'm trying to sleep." What he _didn't _expect was Malfoy to make a soft groan, get up, and help look for it. Harry looked at Ron who gave him the same "what-the-hell?" look he was probably wearing on his face as Malfoy started looking by the couches. After the initial shock, he began searching again too.

After a few minutes it occurred to Draco that Ron wasn't helping. He looked up from the table and asked, "What are you doing on that chair, Weasel? Aren't you going to help? It was _your _fault in the first place."

Ron exclaimed, "I didn't think he was _serious_!"

"I don't care. Get your ass down here and help!" Draco fixed him with an icy glare until he got down from his chair and started looking. Ron asked, "Why are you helping us, Malfoy?"

Draco turned around from the fireplace and glared, "I'm not doing this for _you_."

Ron grinned at how distressed Draco was and teased, "_Sure _you're not."

Draco pointed a finger at him, "I'm serious. I'm not-,"

He stopped as Blaise stirred in her sleep. She muttered, "Shut up." Draco waited a minute before turning to the two Gryffindors and said, "We need to find the spider before Blaise wakes up."

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

(There's a break here. The website just has issues)

"Guys lets just stop. We've looked everywhere. Ron, we still need to finish our homework and Malfoy, you look like you could use a rest."

Malfoy was walking to the girls' beds. He said, "No, I'll keep looking. You guys can stop." Ron nodded and followed Harry to the table. Secretly, he was grateful that Draco was going to continue looking. The idea that he would be sleeping with a spider that he KNEW was crawling around, one that was enlarged because of the Engorgement Charms they learned today, it made him a little uneasy. He said over his shoulder, "We'll help you look after. We're almost done."

Draco didn't respond. He bent over and looked underneath Pansy's bed. When he didn't find any, he moved on to look under Hermione's. He was in between Hermione and Blaise's bed, Hermione on his right, Blaise on his left. He turns to crawl left towards Blaise's when he meets her cobalt blue eyes staring down at him. _'Well now I know how Potter felt_,' he thought.

"Draco?"

He scratched the back of his head and winced, "Yeah, Blaise?"

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

She yawned, "Well can you go to sleep, _please_?" Her eyelids drifted shut.

Pansy piped up, "_SERIOUSLY_."

"But I wanted to finish-,"

"Finish what?" Blaise's eyes opened up again. "You said you weren't doing anything."

"Well I'm not."

"Dormez-vous, s'il vous plait."

Draco nodded, "Alright." He got up and walked to his bed. As he climbed he could see Blaise watching him. She watched him until he had his eyes closed. _'Alright, I'll wait until she falls back asleep before I continue looking,' _he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

On the other side of the room, Harry and Ron were whispering about Draco.

"I mean how weird is that? Him just getting up and helping you?"

"Yeah, I thought he was gonna hex me for going through his stuff. I mean he hadn't said much to us since Monday. I felt bad about that."

"Yeah."

"I mean, he _can _be nice."

"Sure, when he's not calling you names or insulting your family and—oh! Let's not forget after he's had his," Ron gave Harry a teasing grin, "Morning bath." He and Harry snickered.

Harry paused his quill. "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Ron asked. "Hear wh-,"

"Shh," Harry and Ron strained his ears.

After a moment Ron said, "That's just Blaise. She's always muttering in sleep, did you notice that?"

"Yeah."

"What's she saying?" Ron asked.

Harry listened for a bit and then said, "She thinks someone's tickling her."

"What?"

"Listen, listen."

The boys stilled and then they could hear a sleepy voice going, "Stop tickling me." They looked at each other and started to laugh.

"She's the first person I've ever heard sleep talk," Harry said.

"Charlie talks in his sleep. Ginny, too," Ron told him.

Harry asked, "Really? What kind of stuff does she say?"

"One time she started shouting for Bill to give her stuffed Pygmy Puff. She was like, 'I'll tell Mom. Give Fluffy back!'"

"How old was she?" Harry chuckled.

Ron grinned, "What do you mean 'how old was she?' It happened this summer!" He and Harry laughed again and stopped as they noticed Blaise's muttering had gotten louder.

"Stop it. I'm trying to sleep."

Harry looked at Ron, "Was she talking to us?"

Ron shook his head, "No, I don't think-,"

"Seriously, stop tickling me!" Blaise sat up from her bed. She looked and saw Harry and Ron by the table doing homework. She scanned the room and found Draco, Hermione, and Pansy asleep in their beds. Everyone was away from her but there was still something . . .

She pulled off her covers and finds a HUGE spider crawling on her leg. Her heartbeat raced and she began to sweat and then she started to scream.

The screams made Ron and Harry's blood run cold. They were loud, piercing, and blood curling. Draco and Pansy woke up to her yells. They got up and ran toward her bed as Blaise got up and ran into a shocked Harry's arms, crying into his shoulder. Pansy and Draco searched her bed but they didn't see it. Ron just noticed that the spider was still on Blaise's leg and not a second later, Blaise did too.

"GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF! _PLEASE _GET IT OFF ME!" She started sobbing and gasping for breath.

With all the courage he could muster, Ron grabbed the spider off her leg and threw it across the room. Draco grabbed his wand and Petrified the spider before killing it. By the time he and Pansy came over to Blaise, she was still trying to catch her breath and she was sobbing, "It was on my leg!" over and over again. Draco held his arms out to her and she let go of Harry and walked into Draco's open arms.

He held her close and said, "Calm down, Blaise. Breathe? You gotta breathe. Calm down. It's gone now."

Pansy rubbed her lower back and said, "It's dead now. Just relax."

She finally caught her breath back but she was still sobbing, "It was on me. It was on my leg. It was in my _bed._"

"It's gone now, Blaise," he whispered. He started rubbing her back that was shaking in sobs. "I killed it, Blaise. It's dead. It's gone. Here, you can look at it. It's over-,"

"I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT!" she took a shaky breath and whimpered, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that-,"

"It's okay. You're upset. It's okay."

"It was HUGE!"

Pansy answered, "I know-."

"No you don't. It was in _my_ bed. It was on _my_ leg!"

"I know, Blaise. Come on, let's go to the bathroom," Draco said. He put his arm around her shoulders and started walking her to the bathroom. Halfway there, Blaise pushed Draco out of the way. She fell to her knees and was violently sick on the floor.

"Oh my God," Pansy muttered.

Draco bent down and picked Blaise up. He carried her to the bathroom. As he shut the door, he called, "Pansy, get the medicine." Pansy summoned the pills and went into the bathroom, setting them on the counter. Draco was holding Blaise's hair away from her face as she threw up in the toilet and was rubbing her back with his other hand. He looked up and asked, "Can you clean up the mess out there?"

Pansy walked out and closed the door behind her. She got out her wand and Vanished the mess. When she finished Harry asked, "Is she okay?"

Pansy scratched her forehead and sighed, "She will be."

Ron asked tentatively, "What happened?"

Pansy hesitated. She took a deep breath and replied, "Blaise has arachnophobia."

All of a sudden, everything made sense. Professor Dessen talking to Blaise this morning, Blaise not showing up for Charms, being asked by Draco to not talk about it, Draco getting up to help find the spider and telling them to do it before she woke up. They were quiet for a moment and then Ron said, "I am so sorry."

Her eyes got big. "You brought it in here?"

"No! Well . . . yeah- but not on purpose! Someone put it in my bag during Charms today."

"Oh well what are you apologizing for?" she asked.

"It was in _my _bag."

Pansy rolled her eyes and muttered, "Whatever. It's okay. It wasn't your fault." She turned and walked back into the bathroom. Harry and Ron turned away and looked back towards the dead spider. Ron asked, "You suppose we should . . ."

Harry replied, "Yeah." He got his wand out and Vanished the spider. "We should go to sleep."

"But what about the homework?"

"We're almost done. We'll do it before breakfast tomorrow." As they put on their pajamas they stared at Hermione's still sleeping form.

"How did she sleep through that?" Ron wondered as he climbed in to bed.

Harry shrugged, "I have no idea. 'Night."

"'Night."

(There's a break here. The website just has issues.)

Pansy came back into the bathroom and Blaise was washing her face in the sink. Draco was sitting on the toilet, asleep with his head in his hands. Pansy leaned on the counter next to her. "You okay?"

Blaise nodded as she wiped her face with a towel. She put the towel aside. She bowed her head and took a long breath and then she hopped onto the counter. She put her feet in the sink and turned on the hot water. She grabbed the towel and lathered it with soap and started scrubbing her legs, hard.

Pansy added some cold water. "That water is too hot." Steam was coming from the sink and was fogging the place.

Blaise glared and turned off the cold water. "Hot water kills germs."

"What germs? You just took a bath!"

Blaise continued scrubbing and didn't respond. Pansy shut off the hot water and cried, "Blaise!"

She looked up and said, "That thing could have laid its babies-,"

"Oh, come on!"

"It could have laid its babies on my leg and I need to know that they're dead." She turned on the hot water again.

"You're not gonna do that by burning your skin off!" Pansy shut if off again.

She turned it back on again. "I'd rather have it burn then have an infestation on my legs or my clothes. In fact-," Blaise hopped off the counter. She removed her PJ bottoms and stood in her underwear. She dropped the pants in the bathtub and opened the tap to hot water. She went back to her spot on the counter, glared at Pansy for turning it back off, turned it back on, and resumed scrubbing at her legs.

Pansy said, "At least, use warm water."

"No."

"Yes!" Pansy turned down the hot water and added some cold.

"Stop it! Warm water is _not _gonna kill the family of spiders, growing on me. Please stop," Blaise looked at her with wide cobalt blue eyes filled with fear.

Pansy grabbed her shoulders. "Blaise, this is your OCD talking."

She swatted her hands away and muttered, "I don't have OCD."

Her friend studied her. "Did you take your sedatives?"

"Yes!"

"Well take another one."

"I don't need another one."

"Okay well wash the soap off and let's go to bed. It's getting late."

Blaise hesitated.

"What? Do you need a sleeping potion?"

"No, I don't like how groggy I get in the morning." Blaise looked up through her curtain of dark hair and asked shyly, "Can I sleep with you?"

"Of course!" Pansy gave her friend a reassuring hug and then woke Draco up while she washed her legs. After she dried them, the three of them headed out of the bathroom. Blaise was relieved to see Harry and Ron were asleep. She was embarrassed about the way she acted and didn't want to see them. Draco climbed in his bed and wished the girls good night. Blaise climbed into the bed with Pansy and tried to go to sleep.

Half hour later, she still couldn't sleep. All over her body she could feel things crawling on her. In some part of her mind she knew she was just being paranoid but she couldn't help it. She glanced over at Pansy who was sound sleep and as quietly as possible, she got out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

Blaise turned around to see Pansy staring at her. "I have to use the bathroom."

Pansy shut her eyes again and said, "Hurry back."

Once in there, Blaise used the toilet and took a long shower. She then changed back into her pajamas and sat down on the toilet thinking. After awhile the door opened and a tired Ron Weasley walked in and shut the door. He looked up to see her sitting on the toilet and asked, "Can't sleep?"

Blaise shook her head, "I got a lot on my mind. Did you need to use the bathroom?"

Ron shrugged, "Not really."

"Good. I wasn't going to get up anyway."

Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head. The two of them sat in silence for a while; Blaise on the toilet, and Ron leaning on the counter. After awhile Ron says, "Look I'm sorry about the spider in-,"

Blaise stopped him. "It's okay. Draco told me about it." She squinted up at him. "Do you always apologize for things that aren't your fault?"

Ron shrugged again. "It felt like the right thing to do."

Blaise said, "To take the blame for something that's not your fault? Spoken like a true Gryffindork—I guess that's another spot where the line between bravery and stupidity gets a little blurry." Ron smiled despite himself. "So how did it get in your bag again?"

"I thought Dean was joking around in Charms when he said he was gonna put it in there," Ron paused before adding. "I've never heard any one scream like that before."

Blaise ducked her head and bit her nail. She replied softly, "I know it's pretty bad. I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes I see that _thing _on my leg and then it brings me to these other thoughts like what if it laid eggs on me or I get some kind of disease or something. And then I had to take a shower because I had this sensation of them crawling all over me and I'm thinking about taking another one because I'm starting to feel it again." She looked up at him with a self conscious smile. "I know I sound ridiculous-,"

"No, you don't. I _hate _spiders."

"You do?"

Ron nodded, "That's why Dean put it in the bag. He knows how much I hate them. Why don't you take a sleeping potion?"

"No, I get really groggy in the morning."

Ron asked, "What was it . . . that made you so scared of them?"

Blaise turned away and didn't answer. There was a bit of silence and then Ron said, "Me, I was six." He pulled himself onto the counter and said, "I broke Fred's broomstick by accident and he got so angry he turned my teddy bear into a spider." Blaise shuddered at the thought.

There was a pregnant pause before she asked, "Why did you grab it off my leg then if you don't like them?"

Ron said, "I didn't think about it. I just saw how . . . upset you were and I just took it off."

She looked up at him and asked, "Even though, you're scared of them?"

Ron shrugged, nonchalantly. "I thought it was pretty brave of me."

The sides of Blaise's mouth curled up in the slightest smile. "No once again Weasley, your stupid side came out to play." Ron chuckled and her smile grew bigger as she said, "Thank you."

"No problem . . . so are you gonna tell me or what?"

She gave him a quirky smile that said, 'Wouldn't you like to know?'

"Is it embarrassing?"

She smirked and asked, "Can I trust you?"

He said indignantly, "I'm in Gryffindor!"

"That doesn't mean anything. Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor, wasn't he?"

"You know about that?" Ron inquired.

Blaise nodded, looking at her nails. "He tells people about it when he gets drunk at dinner parties."

Ron looked horrified, "You go with him to dinner parties?"

She argued. "More like we go and he happens to be there. There's only one person who likes him and I'd say 'like' is a bit of stretch. It's more like tolerate."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Draco's mother refuses to let him in our house after what he did to Sirius. Then mine and Pansy's mother support her."

"Did she have a thing for Sirius?"

"I hope not. They're cousins."

"Seriously?"

Blaise nodded, "Yeah, their fathers were brothers."

Ron wrinkled his nose and said, "That's so odd. Sirius was so kind and Narcissa is so-,"

Blaise huffed, "_Excuse _me! Aunt Narcissa is one of the nicest people I know. Uncle Lucius is mean."

"Why would she marry him then?"

"It's called arranged marriage, Weasley. Ever heard of them?"

His eyes rounded, "You guys do that?"

She nodded, "It's tradition."

"That's terrible," he exclaimed. Ron looked straight ahead for a moment and then asked, "So…who are you paired up with?"

Blaise scoffed, "I'm not gonna tell _you!_"

Ron laughed, "That bad?"

She hit him on his arm, which made him laugh harder. "No!"

"If it's Malfoy, then I'd say that's bad."

""No!"

"No its not Malfoy or no it wouldn't be bad?"

"No it's not _Draco _and if it was it _would _be bad because he's _my_ cousin."

"You're related to Malfoy?"

"Is that such a surprise?"

"Yes!"

"How? We look exactly alike besides hair and eye color. He looks like his father and I look like my mother and those two were brother and sister and they looked alike—all the Malfoys look alike."

"There's more?"

"Yes there's Uncle Luke who's the oldest. He has three sons: Viktor, Lucien, and Kraven. Then there's Uncle Xavier and he has three daughters: Sonja, Selene, and Erica."

"Is that it?"

"Well there's Lucas but we weren't told much about him. Just that he turned gay and ran off with Pansy's uncle so they were disowned."

Ron studied her for a moment. Blaise looked back with blank blue eyes and when she finally asked what he said, "I don't understand how you can say that so calmly."

"Well it's the rules," she said simply.

"Why don't you break the rules?"

"I do break them. I'm talking to _you, _aren't I?"

There was a brief silence and then Ron asked, "I'm a rule?"

"Its _not_ a big deal-,"

"There's a rule about my family?"

"There's rules about everyone!"

"What's the rule?"

"_What?_"

"What's the rule? I think I should know. What is it?"

"Weasleys are as filthy as Mudbloods and should be treated as such."

A swirl of emotions crossed Ron's face: shock, hurt, and anger. "You're not allowed to hang out with us because we're poor?" Ron thundered.

"No,, they say you're not real Purebloods because of the way you treat the Muggles and the Muggleborns-,"

"Because we treat them like human beings? Is that what you're saying? They are, Blaise. They are just as human as you and me. They give birth the same way, they have the same body parts, they walk on two feet. What is it that sets them apart from us, hmm? Because they're born in another world? Is that it? 'cause if it is, let me tell you now, when we say Muggle _World_ or Wizarding _World_—'World' is in name only. We're all from the same planet. We were all born and live in the same . . . we live coincide with them and the idea that we are better than them because all our ancestors were born on the right side of the 'fence' that separates our world from theirs is ridiculous. And the fact that me and _my _family are considered filthy for thinking that, is ridiculous too." Blaise looked away from Ron's glaring ocean blue eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then he continued, "You don't even know me . . . _or _my family. You're all so quick to judge people. Is that why you guys just stick together? Why you don't become friends with anyone else because you think you're better than them?"

Blaise saw red. She whipped her head back at him and her cobalt blue eyes flashed with anger. "How dare you? How dare you sit there and tell _me _that I'm quick to judge people when most people don't come near me or my Housemates because they see our uniforms and automatically think we're devoted followers of the Dark Lord? And do you think any of them know me? Do you think any of them know me, or Pansy, or Dra-_any _of the other Slytherins? She stood up from the toilet and stood in front of Ron's face. She pointed to the door, "Outside this common room, it's 3 against 1. Who do you think the one is?" She glared at him. "Who do you think people automatically look at when something bad happens or something goes wrong, hmm? I mean you talk about us being mean to the Mudbloods but we get treated just as badly. We get the same dirty looks and we get picked on-,"

Ron rolled his eyes, "Please, you guys do not get picked on."

"People say terrible things to get the boys riled up and if Pansy and I were to walk those hallways by ourselves without Draco or someone with us, we'd get harassed. You can bet on that."

"I've never seen any of that happen here, ever."

Blaise said over her shoulder as she walked to the door, "Well people see what they want to here. They see Draco Hexing some kid but they don't see the kid saying something about his father and that woman he got involved with, do they?"

Ron retorted, "Yeah, well Snape does the same thing to us!"

Blaise looked back at Ron, ocean blue eyes staring back with fierce intensity. "That is one teacher. Snape is one teacher out of the whole faculty and he favors us because he understands what its like to be a Slytherin in this school." She opened the door and said, "Slytherins stick together because we're all we've got."

She walked out of the bathroom and shut the door. Ron glared after her and hopped off the counter. He lifted the toilet seat muttering. "And yes I _did_ have to pee."


	7. Eight Legged Freaks Part II

**Eight-Legged Freaks Part Two**

Chapter Seven

Hermione was the only one wide awake the following morning. Pansy slept until Harry, Hermione, and Draco were done in the bathroom. Then she got up and joined them for breakfast, not before trying to wake up Blaise.

"Come on, Blaise. Time to wake up," she yawned as she shook her friend's shoulder. "Blaise!"

"Pansy, wake me up when you're done eating," Blaise mumbled in the pillow.

She nodded. Pansy pulled back the covers and padded over to the table. Draco looked at her PJ's as she sat down beside him. "Plan on changing, Pansy?"

Pansy started dishing out eggs onto her plate as she answered, "I'm actually debating whether to show up in Potions in pajamas. I just don't feel like changing. I don't fee like doing _any_thing." She yawned, and then Draco yawned, and then Harry. Hermione scanned the table and then looked over to the beds where Blaise and Ron were still sleeping. She looked at Harry and asked, "Why is everyone so sleepy?"

Harry shrugged, "Are you done? I want to meet the others before class." Hermione nodded. While Harry got his stuff, she went over to wake Ron up.

"Come on, Ron. You have to get dressed. We're leaving now."

Ron opened a sleepy blue eye. "Just go without me. I'll be up in ten minutes."

"I think you should get up now."

"Hermione, go!"

She stood up and warned, "Don't be late. Remember, we have Potions this morning." She picked up her bag and she and Harry walked out the Portrait hole. Draco and Pansy followed soon after but not before trying to wake up Blaise who told them to go on ahead.

(There's a break here. The website just has issues.)

"Shit!"

That's what Ron woke up to this fine early morning. He sat up in bed and saw Blaise hurrying out of bed and looking in her trunk for a uniform. He rubbed his eyes and asked, "What time is it?"

She grabbed the clothes and ran to the bathroom, screaming over shoulder, "It's the middle of Potions!"

"Oh, FUCK!" Ron scrambled out of bed and ran to get his clothes. Eyeing the bathroom door he quickly changed clothes. Blaise walked out of the bathroom just as he finished tying his tie. He and Blaise ran out of the portrait hole. Ron saw Blaise turning to go right and he asked, "Where are you going?"

"To potions."

"It's this way," he pointed left.

Blaise said, "They have teachers patrolling that way to Potions. They give detentions to kids without passes."

"No, they don't."

"Yes, they do."

Ron argued, "No, they don't."

Blaise shakes her head, "Look, I'm not going to argue with you about this." She turned and ran right. Ron continued left and was about to make a right on the second corridor when he spotted Madame Pince pacing the hall. He rolled his eyes and turned back the way he came.

Blaise had run down the hallway and down a set of stairs. She made a sharp left and then another. As she rounded a corner she ran straight into a hard chest. She fell down and looked up at Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw in Sixth Year. Behind him were his two friends, Morag and what's-his-face, from Hufflepuff. Boot stared down at her and said, "Look what we have here. What's a pretty thing like you doing here, all alone?"

She rolled her eyes and stood up. She grabbed her bag off the ground and tried to go around him but he kept moving in front of her. "I'm trying to get to class. Do you mind?" Blaise tried to pass by the side when he shot an arm up to block her. She looked at him angrily, "Move!"

He leered, "Are you one of them?"

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"A Death Eater? Are you one of them, Slytherin?"

Blaise said, "No! Will you let me pass now?"

"Show me," he replied.

She regarded him with disgust. "I don't have to show you anything." Blaise pushed his arm away and started walking by him when used his other hand to grab her by the wrist. She whirled back around and demanded, "Let go of me."

"Show me your arm and I'll think about it."

Blaise grabbed his wrist with her other hand and twisted it, and then pushed him away. Morag and the other Hufflepuff each grabbed one of her arms and held her back. Boot rubbed his wrist and he grinned, "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He took a step toward her and Blaise soundly kicked him in the groin. He bent over with pain and stayed bent for a moment or two. He lifted his head up to see Blaise smirking down at him. He brought himself up saying, "You'll pay that." He walked toward her and this time when she made to kick he caught her foot and continued to advance and he repeated, "You're gonna pay for that." She tried to shake him off her leg but he kept a firm hold and he came closer and closer until-

"What are you doing?!"

Ron had turned the corner and spotted them in the hallway. Boot turned to him and said, "Nothing Ron, we're just talking."

Ron protested, "No you're not! Let go of her . . . now." Terry laughed. The Gryffindor shoved him hard. "I don't find this funny."

The Hufflepuffs let go of Blaise and walked to Terry's side. The Ravenclaw looked at him. "What are you doing, man? She's a Slytherin." Ron stared at them with mild shock. If he were to ever find an example of what Blaise and Professor Dessen were talking about, he didn't expect it to be so blatant and in his face. Muggleborns weren't the only ones who had to deal with prejudice at Hogwarts. Ron grabbed Blaise by the wrist and replied, "I know that." Then he and Blaise walked to Potions class.

After they turned around corridor and went down another flight of stairs did Ron let go of Blaise's hand. They walked in a loud silence and then Blaise turned to Ron and said, "Thanks."

Ron looked back at her with that mixed look of shock, disbelief, and bewilderment. She stared back expectantly with raised eyebrows. He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm and answered, "You were right."

They were approaching the Potions classroom. Blaise asked, "About the teachers in the hallway or . . . ?"

He didn't answer though. Ron saw the Potions door and muttered, "Snape is gonna kill me." The two of them opened the door and entered the classroom. The room was silent and it appeared that the students were taking a quiz. Everyone stared at them, glad for a distraction. Professor Snape looked up from his papers. He glared at Ron and asked, "Mr. Weasley, would you care to explain why you are an hour and thirty minutes late for my class?"

Ron stammered, "Um . . . I . . . uh-,"

"May I speak with you for a moment, Professor?" Blaise interrupted. She walked to the front of the classroom and started talking to him in hush tones. Ron still stood in the back of the class. He spotted his best friends among the Gryffindors on the left side of the classroom. Hermione was shaking her head in an 'I told you so' manner and Harry mouthed, "What happened?" He mouthed back, "Later." The other Gryffindors were asking as well and before he could reply, Professor Snape spoke.

"Mr. Weasley, would you mind waiting out in the hall instead of distracting my students who SHOULD BE WORKING ON THE QUIZ!" His housemates whipped forward and he replied meekly, "Yes, Professor."

He stepped out into the hallway, waiting anxiously for the Potions professor to come out. Sure enough, the door opened and Snape entered the hallway with Blaise behind him. After she shut the door, he turned to Ron and said, "Ms. Zabini says the two of you overslept. Is that correct?"

Ron nodded.

"And that you overslept because last night she couldn't sleep after one of her episodes and you kept her company. Is that also correct?"

Ron nodded again, "Yes, Professor."

"Very well. The two of you will come in during your lunch break and make up the quiz then. Do not be late. Do I make myself clear?"

Ron could only stare. Fortunately, as Snape started to get irritated for lack of response, Blaise answered, "Yes, Professor. Thank you very much."

He made one brief nod and opened the door. "You will stay out here for the remainder of class. When the class is over, return to get a pass." He stepped inside the classroom and shut the door.

Blaise looked at Ron and grinned at his facial expression. She chuckled, "You shouldn't have your mouth open like that." She lifted a hand and closed it. "You'll catch flies."

Ron shook his head. "I just can't believe he left us off so easy. I've been punished worse for arriving when the bell rang."

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm sure McGonagall would have done the same under the circumstances," She said as she put her school bag on the ground and sat on top of it with her legs stretched before her.

"I'd like to believe that," Ron began as he sat down beside her. "But she's such a stickler for rules. I can see her saying 'What you did Mr. Weasley was very honorable however, that doesn't excuse you for missing half of my class. That'll be a detention.'"

Blaise argued, "No, she wouldn't-,"

"Yes, yes she would."

"Well what about the other teachers like Professor Sprout or Flitwick . . ." Blaise trailed off as Ron shook his head.

"There is no teacher that would have done what Snape just did, none," he said.

"What about-,"

"None," he repeated.

Blaise sat and thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers and cried, "That oaf would do it."

"Who?"

"The one that teaches Care of Magical Creatures?"

"No he wouldn't—yes he would," Ron said at Blaise's look. "Don't call him an oaf. His name is Hagrid."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Like you don't call Snape names behind his back?"

Ron sputtered, "What? No!"

"You're a terrible liar."

"No I'm not."

"Your ears give you away like that," Blaise snapped her fingers.

"No they don't," Ron said, touching his ear as if they could feel color.

"Yes, they do. We're talking 'Blood Pops' red."

"No, they're not."

"Yes they are."

"No they're not."

"Okay let's not argue with the person staring right at them." Ron laughed. Blaise smiled and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. When she did, her uniform slipped down her arm a bit, revealing an angry red handprint about her wrist.

"My God," Ron grabbed her by the elbow and stared at her hand. "Does it hurt?" he asked. He looked up from the wrist to her face.

She shook her head and pulled her arm from him. "It looks worse than it is. I bruise easily."

"You should tell Snape," he advised.

Blaise rolled her eyes. "That's so primary school. I'll tell Pansy about it." Ron raised his eyebrows. "You'd be surprised what she's capable of when pushed, especially when it comes to her friends."

Ron nodded slowly, "So are we friends now or . . . ?"

"Well I don't know, Weasley. I actually _talk _to my friends when we're in public. You sure you're ready for that?" she gave Ron an exaggerated look. She asked, "I mean Monday—what the hell was that?"

He shook his head and sighed, "I don't know. It wasn't even a matter of us being afraid, because we're not, it was just weird. We had spent time with Dumbledore, and McGonagall, and Snape, and Dessen and they had been encouraging us to be nice to each other. To go from that to that much opposition was overwhelming. It wasn't what I expected."

"Well what did you expect? You thought they would welcome us with open arms?" Blaise raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well maybe not _open_ arms but-,"

She rolled her eyes, "God that's just like you guys."

Ron protested, "Give us a break. I mean the way the professors played us up to be leaders to the rest of the school, you'd think they would welcome you."

"Weasley, they're not going to follow you blindly on something like this. He's just saying we have a lot of influence in what goes around at Hogwarts and we should use it to bring the houses together."

"Well you'd think they'd tell us that!"

She gave him a false scandalized look. "I know! How dare he give you so much credit? He should know by now that everything needs to be spelled out for you. The _nerve_!"

Ron pointed a finger at her, "Okay you know what? I resent that."

Blaise laughed as the bell rang. Pansy came bounding out of the classroom with Draco beside her, the rest of the class not too far behind. She grabbed Blaise by the shoulders and just gave her two quick air kisses over her excitement.

"Where the hell were you?!" she asked wide-eyed. "I _knew _you were gonna be late. I just knew it, didn't I, Draco?" Draco opened his mouth to answer but she continued. "See? Even Draco said it-,"

"Pansy-,"

"God Blaise, what were you thinking?"

"Pansy I-,"

"I mean when that bell rang I was like, whatever, but _all of class_?"

"PANSY!"

She finally quieted but stared at her expectantly. "Well?"

Blaise sighed, "Plus tard, bien ?" _Later__,__ okay __?_

Pansy nodded and then pouted, "Mais je veux savoir maintenant." _But I__ want__ to know__ now__._

"_Pansy_!"

"Ok! Mon dieu!" _Okay! My God! _She started to walk away with Draco and then Blaise grabbed her arm.

"Et je dois vous dire au sujet d'autre chose." _And I need to talk to you about something else._

Pansy asked, "Oooo, au sujet d'un garcon?" _About a boy?_

"Ouais." _Yeah_

She grinned wickedly, "Dites-moi!" _Tell me!_

"Later Pansy. We have to get a pass," Blaise fell back into English.

"Do you want us to wait?" Draco asked.

She shook her head and then Blaise and Ron cut through the crowd of students to get into the classroom. Ron expected Professor Snape to have the pass already or at least writing it so he was surprised to fine the room empty. Blaise sat on top of a desk and Ron leaned on one across from her.

"How do you guys know French?" he asked.

She answered, "We're half."

"All of you?"

"Well Draco's full, me and Pansy are half-,"

"Ms. Zabini, get off that desk. This is not your manor." Blaise hopped off as Snape walked out of his private office and into the classroom. Instead of two signed pieces of paper, in his hands was a flat, plastic rectangle. He held it out to the two pupils, who were staring at it curiously.

Blaise examined the foreign object in her hands with a quizzical look on her face. She glanced at Ron for a second who had an equally confused look. Good, she wasn't the only one. She looked up at the Potions Professor.

"I thought we were getting passes."

"Those are your passes Ms. Zabini. You've never been to a muggle hotel?"

"You have?" Ron's eyebrows rose.

Snape closed his eyes in aggravation. "Weasley, your voice consistently sounds like nails on a chalkboard to my ears but at this time of day it is more grating then usual. Do shut up," he snapped. He looked at Blaise and spoke in a far more pleasant tone. "From the top, swipe the card in the crack of the door and it will unlock to let you out during your lunch break. Do not attempt to swipe those cards earlier than you are expected. They are Charmed and will let you out with a reasonable amount of time to arrive here promptly. Is that clear?"

Ron and Blaise nodded and were dismissed from the classroom. They made their way to their quarters in a somewhat comfortable silence. When the portrait opened, Blaise was immediately accosted by Pansy and Draco, and Ron with his friends.

"What was that, Blaise?"

"Ron, could you be anymore irresponsible?"

"Why were you so late?"

"Did you sleep with him? What happened?"

"Pansy!"

Blaise and Ron both moved the conversation towards the couches to allow the portrait to close. Shortly afterward, the clicking of the locks could be heard as they tried to answer some of the questions fired at them.

"I don't know, we just overslept," Blaise said.

"It's really no big deal," Ron added.

"No big deal? You missed most of the lesson-," Hermione stopped. All of a sudden there was a bright flash of light coming from the doorway. The group turned to look at the Portrait to see the two locks, labeled _Blaise and Ron_ and _Ron and Blaise_, fully click open. There was a pregnant pause, during which Pansy, Draco, Harry, and Hermione both had a chance to re-examine the third member of their trios.

Pansy closed her eyes and smacked her forehead. "Please tell me he is not the guy you wanted to talk to me about?" She pleaded.

Blaise shook her head. "That was someone else-,"

"Good." She opened her eyes in relief. "I didn't think I could stomach it if Weasel was your current apple of your eye. Besides, he's supposed to be mine. Not that I actually care about that because that will never happen-,"

"That's not the point!" Draco cut off. "The point is: when did you two get so close?"

"Yeah!" Hermione chimed.

Ron shrugged, "I guess it started last night."

"When? You went to sleep before I did," Harry pointed out.

"Well I had to pee so I went to the bathroom-,"

Pansy sniffed, "I don't like this. This, right here-," she waved a hand between the two of them. "-has to stop. What would Aunt Gina say?"

"Nothing. I mean Dumbledore said that they told our parents about all this and since they approved I don't think they'd say anything about it," Blaise reasoned.

"But-,"

She cut in, "Pansy, stop. Maybe our parents are starting to get over the whole Mudblood thing."

"Muggleborns," Ron corrected firmly.

Blaise waved the comment off. Hermione sputtered indignantly, "Do you see that? She doesn't _want _to-,"

"Hermione come on, it's going to take more than a couple of days to erase years of habit," Ron pointed out.

Harry countered, "But it takes one night to erase years of rivalry?"

"Look, does it matter? Dumbledore's been wanting house unity since last year. The sooner we all just suck it up and get this over with, the sooner we'll be out of here. Hey, did you guys know we had a balcony over there?" Ron pointed to the opposite side of the room.

The group followed his gaze. Draco snorted, "Kudos, Weasel. You're worse at changing the subject than Blaise. There's nothing there. Now back to what we were saying-,"

"Hold on Draco, there is a balcony." Blaise pushed past the group with Ron in tow.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Okay, you guys can stop now. Is this a joke?" She asked Harry, who shrugged in reply.

Pansy scoffed indignantly. "Is this an inside joke? Is this a _bathroom_ inside joke? You already have inside jokes with Weasley?! Blaise Regina Zabini, you wound me!"

Ron looked back at them. "You guys don't see it?" He and Blaise stood in front of the space between the two windows. He scratched his head, confused.

"No, we don't," Harry said in exasperation.

".don't. Do you hear that, Blaise?" Draco snapped. "All we see is wall. Just wall. Nothing but wall. All wall. It's hard- most walls are- it keeps us locked in here and blocked from the outside world because that is what walls do. They block- Merlin…"

During his tirade, Blaise touched, what to the rest looked like a random brick but to Ron and her was door handle. Once her hand grasped the handle the other four finally saw what she and Ron had been going on about. The door to the balcony appeared in front of them and for the first time in a couple of days, Ron and Blaise stepped outside.

The remaining students stared at each other for a moment before making a beeline to the balcony. As they approached, a voice from above spoke.

"The balcony is available for _deserving_ students," Snape's voice sounded in the room. "I suggest you turn around…or you could stare on enviously. Whichever suits you."

Harry stepped forward to open the door. Hermione called, "You heard what he said, Harry."

He turned back to look at her. "It's probably just a recording, Mione. Snape doesn't have time to sit around and watch who's going on the balcony. He's not here. What's the worst he can do?" He tentatively touched the door handle and waited a bit. With no sound from Snape or a random Hex being thrown at him, Harry opened the door and saw Ron and Blaise sitting on a bench and talking. They stopped however when Harry opened the door. Ron grinned at him. "Believe us now?" Harry nodded and took a step towards the balcony walking face-first into an invisible barrier.

Ow?

And then a rich laugher could be heard throughout the room.

"You know, I attended and taught many years at Hogwarts but I must say the boundless curiosity Gryffindors possess never cease to amaze me."


	8. He's Really Anal

**He's Really Anal**

Chapter Eight

"So who was it?" Professor Dessen sang. She walked through the portrait and toward the group standing in front of the balcony door. Ron and Hermione were helping Harry up while the Slytherins were laughing to the side. "Who were the first to- Harry you didn't try to go out there did you?" She bit her lip to keep from giggling.

Harry rubbed his forehead and started, "Well-,"

"Yes!" Pansy interrupted. "He walked into the wall. It was funny and it was hilarious."

"You know that's the same thing right, Pansy?" Draco teased.

"It's called _emphasis_, Dra-,"

"Alright Pansy, let's not add salt to the wound. So…" The professor looked around at them. "Who was it?" Blaise and Ron raised their hands. Professor's face fell. "Really?"

Blaise rolled her eyes. "Don't look so excited."

"Oh sorry," she apologized. "It's just…"

"What?" Draco asked exasperated.

"I bet on _Harry_ and Blaise."

"Excuse me . . . you did what?" Hermione asked.

Dessen corrected herself. "It's not betting _per se_. It was more like a poll-,"

"With money as the prize?" Ron asked.

"Look, we're teachers, alright? Winner got bragging rights."

"What did the other teachers say?" Harry asked, curious.

Professor Dessen thought for a moment. "Professor McGonagall said Hermione and Draco and Professor Dumbledore said Pansy and Ron. You know, I think we were doing it in terms of the picture…" She muttered to herself.

"What about Professor Snape?" Pansy inquired.

"He refused to be apart of such 'frivolous nonsense,'" she grinned.

Blaise smiled. "He would say that."

Professor Dessen laughed, looking at her watch. "I have to leave but you keep up the good work. It's all for the best." With that, she exited through the portrait.

The room was silent after she left until Blaise playfully shoved Pansy. "Don't look at me like that Pans."

Pansy, who had been staring at Blaise like she had something nasty on her face and had no idea how to get rid of it, opened her eyes wide and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about-,"

"Ugh, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about."

"I haven't a clue."

Blaise stared at Pansy a long time before crossing her arms and staring at the floor. She whispered, "J'ai pense que tu étais mon ami."

Pansy stomped her foot, "I am!"

Blaise walked away, muttering, "Menteur." _Liar_

Pansy rolled her eyes and followed Blaise to the couches where they began speaking in rapid French.

Hermione tilted her head in wonder, "I had no idea you guys spoke French."

Draco opened his mouth to say a sharp comment when Ron cut him off.

"They're half French and Malfoy's full," he provided.

Hermione, Draco, and Harry stared at Ron, dumbfounded, particularly Draco. He didn't seem to like the fact Ron knew something about him that he himself hadn't disclosed. He blinked furiously at the redhead before joining his friends at the couches. A little while later, the six of them returned to classes. Break was over.

* * *

A week passed. Students were getting back into the groove of school. They got used to the homework, projects, and classwork. They even got used to the large portrait not too far away from the Great Hall, or at least, they stopped gawking and gathering around it whenever the six inhabitants came and left.

Quidditch practices also started, to the boys' dismay. The room was strategically placed so they could ear the Quidditch pitch yet it remained just out of sight. This "grounding" was just as cruel as it was unusual.

Even more strange was Blaise and Ron's behavior. For the most part, the two of them kept to their friends but there were clues to the change in their relationship. They would greet each other in the mornings and evenings. Blaise, on occasion, would greet him with her cheek kissing greeting, a gesture that would leave Ron's ears scarlet, Pansy and Draco seething, and Hermione and Harry all the more confused. The two of them went back to passing food back and forth to each other during meals and encouraged their friends to do the same. They all grudgingly complied, except Pansy, who appeared to have not forgotten Hermione's explosion their first night in their new quarters. Stranger still were evenings. Every night around ten, Ron would sit on the balcony and Blaise would join him after her shower where they would stay for an hour, sometimes two. It was perplexing, to say the least.

"Do you two fuck out there?"

"Pansy!" Blaise looked around, scandalized at the blunt question.

"What?" She shrugged. "It's just a question."

"Yeah, but you don't have to be so crude about it."

"You're turning red and have yet to deny it."

"We do not."

"Not what?"

"You know what."

"I'm slow. Spell it out for me."

Blaise rolled her eyes and scanned the room, still very flushed. She whispered, "We're not having sex."

Pansy shook her head. "I was afraid of that."

"You wanted me to have sex with him?" Blaise furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Stop moving!" Pansy chided. She was sketching Blaise, who was sitting in the chair across from her at the homework table. She had just finished drawing Blaise's eyes, which returned to their normal size now that Blaise wasn't scrunching them. She sighed, "It's not that I wanted you to be fucking," Blaise winced. "It's just something that I could understand. We're sexually frustrated teenagers. It's only natural. You and Weasley just talking…aren't."

Blaise glanced over at her friend, careful not to move her head. "Why?"

"Because…" Pansy trailed off, looking to the side as she tried to find the words. "Because it's like there's no…motive, you know? You're not just humoring him to get into his pants. It's like you actually enjoy his company or something." She stared at the topic of their conversation, who was doing homework with his other friends on the couches. Draco was sitting in the chair beside Blaise quietly reading, but probably listening to the conversation.

Blaise shrugged, "I don't know. He's not so bad once you get to know him. It's weird. He's not like I thought he'd be. You guys should try to make an effort, really."

Neither Draco nor Pansy responded but she knew they heard her. Pansy resumed her sketching and Draco finally turned the page he had been stuck on since the conversation started.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!"

Five heads swiveled to see a fuming Draco poke his head out of the bathroom. "Would everyone come into the bathroom?"

Ron looked down at the steaming, mouth watering breakfast before him and then back at Draco. "What for-,"

"Just do it!"

They left the dining table and walked into the bathroom. Draco stood by the middle skink, tapping his fingers on the counter while waiting for them to file in. He ran his hands through his hair. "Okay," he took a deep breath and looked each person in their face. "Who did it?"

The Gryffindors looked at each other in confusion.

"Who did what?" Ron asked.

Draco narrowed his eyes and pointed to the middle sink. "That," he spat.

They studied the sink but couldn't find anything wrong with it. It was sparkling clean, due to the House Elves' nightly cleaning. It had toothpaste beside it and everyone's toiletry bag neatly stacked along the counter.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

Draco exclaimed, "Are you blind?" He pointed at the sink. "Who the fuck used my toothpaste?!"

Harry looked startled, "It's just toothpaste."

Draco whipped his head and pinned his gaze on Harry. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"You don't know that. Zabini and Parkinson used the bathroom last night-,"

"Blaise and Pansy know better. Why did you use my toothpaste? Don't you have your own toothpaste? Why would you use my toothpaste? You didn't even ask." His anger made these questions and subsequent questions come out in quick procession.

"I didn't think-,"

"No, you didn't thin. Why did you use my toothpaste? Better question, why did you use my toothpaste and then not put it back the way you found it?"

"Ididn'tthinkitwouldbeabigdeal," Harry rushed to avoid being cut off again.

"Excuse me?" Draco's eyes widened to double their size. "It is a big deal. I'm allowed to make a big deal. Why? Because it's my toothpaste, my toothpaste that you just- just- _stole_ like some common thief!"

"What!"

"Yeah, I called you a thief. Don't like it? Don't steal my shit and cover up so sloppily. I'm a lefty. Do you hear me? A lefty!" Draco wagged his finger at Harry.

"What does that have to do with- I really didn't think it would…matter…" Harry trailed off, staring at Draco, who was looking around himself like he was lost and trying to find directions to Why-the-hell-did-Harry-use-his-toothpaste?! Land.

"Let me tell you why it matters. First of all, it's not even yours! But whatever, I don't really care about that. I _do_ care about what you did to it. I'm a lefty, Potter, a lefty! I _always_ put my toothpaste on the left side of the sink because of my left-handedness. That way, I can grab the toothpaste with my left hand and put it on my toothbrush located in my right hand." Draco simulated his words which would have been funny if he wasn't so angry.

"Then look at it! Do you see that? It's all shriveled up because you clenched your fist around it. What kind of monster manhandles toothpaste like that?! Would you do that to Granger? Exactly. What the hell did my toothpaste do to you? What was so bad that you felt the need to squeeze it like that- OH! From the _middle_ I might add. Who squeezes the tubes from the middle? Do you also read books from the middle because that makes as much sense and- WHERE IS THE CAP, POTTER? This is a bathroom! Feces and urine particles are floating all over the place time all the time. Have you lost your mind? Fix this! Find the cap. Now, I want you to squeeze the tube so the top part comes out. Merlin, it was just laying open on the counter. Goodness knows what's gotten in- what did I tell you about squeezing form the middle? The bottom! There, it fixed your stupid fist print. Give it to me. Now get out." Harry was barely out of the bathroom before the door slammed shut behind him.

Harry looked so confused that Pansy rolled her eyes and shoved him at the dining table. "Walk it off. It helps."

They took their seats at the table and the Gryffindors still looked stunned. Harry looked at everyone, "What just happened? I thought he was going to hex me."

"He might have," Pansy piped up, helping herself to sausage. "He's been known to do that."

"What's _wrong_ with him?" Ron asked. "Seriously a normal person doesn't act like that."

Blaise shrugged, "He's really anal."

Harry and Ron shared a look. Ron leaned forward and whispered, "But I thought he dated Parkinson Fourth Year?"

Pansy scrunched her face in confusion. "So?"

Ron kept looking back at Harry and then Blaise realized the misunderstanding.

"Retentive, Weasley! He's anal-retentive. He likes things a certain way, particularly his bath stuff. He's not _gay_," Blaise laughed.

"Oooooh," Harry and Ron said in unison.

She smiled, eating a piece of fruit. "Just get ready, Potter. He's not going to let this go for a long time."

And he didn't. Draco came out of the bathroom clean and more subdued. He sat down at the table while Hermione grabbed her bathroom things. He ate his food slowly, alternating dirty looks and sharp comments aimed at Harry.

Harry asked, "Could you pass the eggs?"

Draco glared, "Why bother asking? Why not just grab it in your plebian fists and eat from the middle of the bowl?!"

Harry ogled at the blond. "That doesn't even make sense-,"

"You know what also doesn't make sense? What you did to my toothpaste. You desecrated it."

"I did not-,"

"Desecrated!" Draco said with a final tone.

It continued like this throughout the day. During study break, Harry ran out of ink in his well. He looked up to find Draco gazing at him…again. He shook his head and dipped his quill into Hermione's ink well when he heard-

"Caught in the act! You just don't quit, do you? Look at you…you didn't even ask! You're a selfish wanker. You know that? This isn't Potter World, okay? You don't own everything, okay? You can't just take things without asking! Why'd you bother dipping it from the top? Why not just dip your quill in the middle. That's how you like it, isn't it? The middle?"

At dinner time, Harry finally snapped. He had endured the comments and the looks all day. He went to take his bath and he could feel Draco's eyes following him across the room and into the bathroom. As he shut the door shut, he heard Draco shout, "Don't touch my things, Potter!"

When he finished in the bathroom, Draco rushed inside and inspected his toothpaste and, for good measure, his hair products. He came out of the bathroom and drawled, "I'm surprised that Potter didn't take my things again because he has got to be the most selfish and arrogant person I have ever-,"

"I'M SORRY!" Harry yelled. He walked up to Draco and shook his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched your toothpaste. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't do it ever again. I promise I'll buy you a new one. I'll do anything- just SHUT UP!"

Draco blinked at Harry while Pansy and Hermione looked on in fascination. He didn't know what to say to Harry but was saved from finding a retort by the flashing light from the door.

Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Hermione stared dumbly at the door to see the locks _Harry and Draco_ and _Draco and Harry_ click fully open. Pansy and Hermione looked back at the two boys.

Draco cleared his throat and pushed Harry's arms off his shoulders. "Well…good!" With that, he stuck his nose in the air and stormed off to the balcony. After a moment's hesitation, Harry followed suit.

Author's note: So that was chapter eight. I know it's short but I wanted to end like that. I don't know if you found it funny but I did. I always find it hilarious when I play it in my head. I couldn't tell you the number of fights I've had with my brother about the same thing and he'll say, "Do you _hear_ yourself? You're arguing about toothpaste." Anyway, chapter nine will be up in a week. Any guesses as to who will become friends next? And over what? You guys are great. Keep reading!


	9. Footsie

**Footsie**

Chapter Nine

"Look at that!" Blaise smiled as Draco stepped onto the balcony. She patted the bench beside her and hugged him when he sat down. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Draco crossed his arms primly across his chest and sniffed, "Excruciating." Blaise laughed and smacked his arm and Draco smiled back.

Harry took the open seat beside Ron while Ron watched the cousins interact. Blaise had told him over and over again that she looked a lot like the blond but it was only now that Ron could see the startling resemblance.

For one thing, they smiled the same way. No matter how quickly it happens, the smile starts out as a smirk that gradually grows into the full blown grin the two were sporting now. Their lips were on the thin side although Blaise's had a feminine plumpness. They stretched out over the same set of pearly whites. They both had high cheekbones and thin noses that naturally stuck up to Ron's amusement. Cobalt and slate eyes sat in the same almond shape. Their hair completely differed though. Blaise had thick, black corkscrew curls while Draco had fine, silvery platinum blond hair, no doubt kept up with the use of his wide collection of hair products. Speaking of Malfoy's stuff…

"How did this happen? Last time I checked, Malfoy was still bitching-,"

"I don't 'bitch,' Weasel," Draco cut off sharply.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Fine. Harping about-,"

"I don't 'harp' either."

"Critiquing incessantly?" Blaise supplied.

". . . I can live with that."

"Alright! Malfoy was _'critiquing incessantly_' last time I checked. What happened?" Ron looked at Harry curiously.

Harry shook his head and leaned back on the bench. "It happened so suddenly. All I did was apologize and then boom!"

Blaise rose an eyebrow. "Must have been some apology."

"Not really," Draco disputed. "Potter shouted at me."

"Yeah, it was more out of anger and frustration then sincere regret-,"

"_Hem-hem_."

Harry blinked at Draco for a moment. The cough was eerily reminiscent of a certain Inquisitor who plagued Hogwarts last year. Last year, the year that Sirius- Harry shook the thought out of his head. It then occurred to him why Draco had coughed in the first place. "I really did mean it, Malfoy. I was going to lose my mind. I didn't think it was possible to care that much about toothpaste-,"

Draco scoffed, "It wasn't about the toothpaste!" Blaise, Ron, and Harry gave Draco a look. "It wasn't _just_ about the toothpaste," He amended. "I wanted you to realized that just because you're The Boy Who Lived, doesn't mean you're entitled to things-,"

"I don't feel entitled to things!"

"Oh, whatever Potter. I know those _Muggles_ you live with probably spoiled you rotten but don't expect that shit all the time."

Harry sat forward in his chair and yelled, "Malfoy, you don't know the first thing about me. It was an honest mistake. It's school toothpaste. Your name's not on it-,"

"Actually I did-,"

"What are you?!"

Draco blinked in confusion, "A wizard, a human being, a boy, a _good_ _looking_ boy, come to think of it-,"

"Unbelievable!"

"Yes, that too."

Harry was about to hex him quiet when he noticed the corner of Draco's lips were quirked up.

"Are you joking with me?" He asked incredulously.

Draco shrugged, "I suppose I am. That's what friends do, is it not?"

"This is crazy." Harry looked at Ron. "This is absolutely crazy. It doesn't feel real."

Ron nodded, "I felt the same way! It's like a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. You're holding a bean that you _know_ is vomit. You can feel it in your gut and then you taste it and you're pleasantly surprised because it's _not_ vomit. It's burnt marshmallow."

"Did you just equate us to vomit jelly beans?" Blaise sputtered indignantly, "And what's with the burnt marshmallow? Why do we have to be burnt? Why couldn't we be toasted or just regular marshmallows? What are you trying to say?" She glared at Ron.

Harry opened his mouth to defend Ron but Ron stopped him. "She's joking," he explained. Sure enough, Blaise broke into a smile and giggled. Harry gave an answering smile back and then sighed.

"I wish Mione was out here."

"Me too," Blaise murmured. "I meant Pansy," She elaborated at Harry and Ron's strange looks. "Not that I don't hope Granger gets out-,"

Ron waved her off in understanding.

"Maybe if we leave them in there by themselves more often, they'll become friends," Harry said, hopefully.

Draco shook his head. "It's not going to happen, Potter."

"Why is Parkinson so stubborn?"

"It's not that she's stubborn. She just doesn't like Granger. Pansy's going to become friends with one of you before she even goes near her."

"But why? If this is about what Hermione said our first day here, then that's ridiculous. Parkinson has said worse things to Hermione," Ron pointed out.

Draco shrugged in turn, "Never said she was reasonable. She's probably on the total opposite side of the room painting or sketching."

Ron got up from his seat and peeked inside. He turned back around, grinning, "Hermione's studying at the table and she's at the sofas sketching."

"I told you."

Harry furrowed his brow. "That's funny. When we came out here, they were both at the table. I wonder what happened."

* * *

Hermione watched Harry and then Draco join Blaise and Ron on the balcony. She glanced back at the door nervously. She and Pansy were the only ones who hadn't befriended a person of the opposite house. She felt the same sinking sensation she got in the pit of her stomach whenever she was the last person to complete an exam. She turned to Pansy with high hopes. "How about we-,"

"Go to hell."

* * *

"Knowing Pansy, probably nothing. She's got a temper. Anything can set her off."

"Like say . . . toothpaste?"

"…You know, you're lucky you've apologized Potter because, I assure you, your pathetic attempts at humor would not have won me over."

* * *

The four of them stayed outside for awhile longer. In this time, one thing was decided: They were not going to let on that they were getting along until all six of them were friends with each other. If they were going to encourage inter-House relationships, then they had to be a united front against opposition from the rest of school.

The professors came around with approving looks at the four of them. Professor McGonagall gave them warm smiles, Professor Dumbledore gave them lemon drops and Professor Dessen gave them another round of Butterbeer. Professor grunted at the four open locks, which they took to mean he also approved. As time went on, these visits became less frequent.

The four of them made a point to spend more time in their quarters rather than the balcony. If Pansy and Hermione were going to be friends with someone, it would have to be one of them, because Pansy was not budging.

Draco and Blaise tried to talk to Hermione at dinner but the conversations were forced and fell flat each time. Harry and Ron attempted to engage Pansy in conversations, too but they were only met with cold stares.

Weeks past. They were now at the end of September and to the boys' horror, the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch match was on. Ron joined Harry and Draco on the balcony who were desperately trying to catch snippets of the game. They don't know how the Professors managed it, but they dampened the sound of Luna Lovegood's announcing and amplified the sounds of the crowd. All they could hear were cheers and groans.

"I despise them. I absolutely despise them," Draco declared.

Harry yelled, "This is so unfair! We should be allowed to see a game, right? I mean, we've made friends!" Draco nodded in agreement.

A cheer erupted. Ron strained his neck trying to get a glimpse of the field. "Did we score? I think we scored-,"

Draco rolled his eyes. "How would you know, Weasley? Maybe Slytherin scored."

Harry snorted, "Doubt it. Your Chasers have butterfingers."

Draco blinked at him. "That is utterly absurd. I doubt Muggle candy has any bearing on our Chaser's ability to score."

"It's a saying, Malfoy. It means they drop the Quaffle a lot."

Draco pointed his finger, indignantly. "I resent that."

Harry smiled to himself. Draco and Ron weren't friends yet but the two had unknowingly picked up habits from the other, being so much in the other's company. During dinner the other day, the redhead had called something "utterly absurd" and then just blinked at Harry when he snorted his pumpkin juice.

Blaise rolled her eyes. "Would you guys stop? You can't see anything anyways and I'm getting bored."

Draco whipped around and scoffed, "Oh! Now you know how _I_ feel when you and Pansy decided to go on a tangent about your uterus and how it bleeds!"

"We told you that you are more than welcome to talk about erections if that will make you feel better-,"

"It's not the same and you know it!" Draco whipped back around, ignoring the snickers from Ron and Harry. One thing the two of them have learned from the other trio was that they were perfectly comfortable discussing sex amongst each other. Harry and Ron never talked about morning woods with each other and they would never dream of mentioning it in front of Hermione. The Slytherins however, held no such qualms.

There was an extra loud groan that erupted from the stands and then a few minutes later, they could see people returning to the castle.

Harry peered down at the large number of gloomy faces. "Wait . . . did we lose?"

"Shut up!" Blaise exclaimed. She joined the boys and studied the faces down below.

Draco's face lit up. "They did! They did! Look at the dejected looks on everyone's faces!"

Ron shook his head, "There's no way . . ." he trailed off as he saw a sea of people in green, celebrating.

"We won! We won! We won!" Draco and Blaise grabbed each other, cheering and jumping up and down.

Ron argued, "Only because Harry's not playing."

Draco scowled at Ron. "Don't be such a Dementor, Weasley. Besides, losing builds character."

Ron was just about to reply that Slytherins must have a heap load of character when Blaise, who was still victory dancing, landed on his foot.

"Blaise! My toe!" Ron placed his foot on the railing and alternated rubbing and inspecting it.

Blaise stared at him, wide eyed, startled that he called her by her name. "What?"

"My foot!" He repeated. He rubbed it and his bottom lip jutted out on its own accord. "I think it's broken."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You are such an infant. It's not even bruised-,"

"Yes, it is! Look it!"

Blaise and Draco peered at his foot and saw nothing wrong, as they had thought. His pinky was red but he'd survive. Their gazes lingered on the Gryffindor's limb.

"Wow," Blaise said.

"See!"

"She is not talking about your uninjured foot, Weasley."

"Well, what is it?"

"You have nice feet," Draco observed.

Ron and Harry looked at Draco. "What?" they asked.

"Your feet," Draco pointed at them. "They're nice."

Ron slowly put his foot down and looked at the Slytherins warily. "Okay… I'm gonna find socks now." And with that, he hurried inside.

Harry looked at Draco oddly, "Do you like feet or something?"

Draco laughed, "Merlin, no." He looked at Blaise and smirked, "But I know someone who does."

* * *

"What the…"

It was Sunday morning the next day and Ron had just gotten out of the shower. He went to his trunk to find socks but he couldn't find a single pair.

"Harry! Can I borrow some socks?"

"Sure." Harry called and then glared at Draco who had muttered, "That's brave," under his breath.

"Thanks," he went to Harry's trunk and started digging around.

"What happened to yours?"

"I have no clue! I swear, it's like the House Elves came in the night and stole them," Ron answered, shifting past the Invisibility Cloak and pointedly ignoring Hermione's reproachful glare. "I don't see any in your trunk either!"

Harry glanced over at Draco who was sitting in the couch across from him, brushing Pansy's hair, He was pretty sure Draco had something to do with the missing socks, especially after Draco's eyes flashed over to Harry above Pansy's head. He decided he wouldn't say anything about his suspicion… yet. "Ron, just forget it. We're not going anywhere anyway."

Ron stomped over to the armchair between the two couches and huffed, " I can't believe this. Are they doing wash or something?"

Harry shrugged and Ron sighed, putting his feet on the coffee table. Pansy huffed and glared up at Ron and was about to shove his feet off the coffee table and out of her face when she saw them.

"Oh my goodness!" She gasped. She pulled away from Draco to kneel before the feet. Pansy stared in awe. "They are perfect!"

Ron looked at her strangely and made to put his feet on the ground when her hand flashed across the table and grabbed him by the ankle with surprising strength for her petite frame. She stared at him, wide eyed. "Don't put them away!"

Ron could have easily wrenched his feet from her grip but he was frozen with shock at her reaction. Pansy was now sitting on the table with his feet in her lap. "May I touch them?" She implored. Ron nodded dumbly as Pansy ran a manicured nail from the bottom of his heel to the top of his big toe. He flailed his foot reflexively. She smiled, "You're ticklish." She didn't repeat the action. Instead, she rubbed his heel and emitted another gasp. "They are so soft…like a baby's bottom."

He looked at her quizzically. "What's wrong with you? They're just feet-,"

She gave him a reprimanding slap on his calf. "Don't say that! They are absolutely gorgeous. They are so soft and smooth and you have a high arch." She ran her nail over it, which caused Ron to flex it again. "_Regardes_! You have an arch on the outside of your foot, too. I love when people have that double arch."

Harry had been looking on at the scene equally shocked and appalled. Her voice held so much- _too_ much reverence for a pair of feet. "What's wrong with you?!" He echoed.

Draco explained, "Pansy has a foot fetish."

Pansy scoffed, "I do not!"

Blaise called from her seat at the table, "Would you lick whipped cream off his feet?"

"Well-,"

"Fetish," Blaise and Draco declared.

"You didn't let me finish!"

"Pansy that should have been a sound, 'no!'" Draco countered. "You entertained the thought. If we had let you finished, you would have invited the thought over for tea."

"That's not true-,"

"Fetish," Blaise dismissed.

She glared at them. "No, I don't!" She looked back at Ron softly, "I don't."

Ron held his hands up in surrender. "I believe you."

"They are so big!"

"Pansy…" Draco warned.

"Do you have a big cock?"

"Pansy!" Blaise admonished.

Ron blushed, "What?"

"Aww, you're blushing! Are you a virgin?"

Ron's face and neck flushed the same color as his ears. "What?" He repeated.

"You are! Wow, a blushing virgin . . . don't be shy! Blaise hasn't done anything either."

Blaise sputtered, "Pansy!"

"May I draw them?" Pansy opened her angel blue eyes wide and pouted her lips.

Ron looked reluctant, "I guess . . ."

Pansy ran to get her sketchbook and started drawing. Her quick, sure strokes were all you could hear in the room. She finished about ten minutes later and handed the book over to Ron before summoning body lotion.

Ron stared at the sketch with surprise, "These are really-," he stopped and eyed the bottle in the Slytherin's hands. "What are you doing?"

"Shh, just let it happen," She said, simply. She started rubbing the lotion on his feet and started working her hands on them. Pansy was a nice girl. She just had no concept of boundaries whatsoever. Ron squirmed at the girl's ministrations. He really was ticklish. He took his mind off the sensations by flipping though her sketchbook. Pansy sketched still life like her wand or the couches surrounding the fire in the Common Room. She also sketched people- Blaise while she's doing homework or Draco reading a book. Whatever the style of the picture, one thing was for sure.

"These are really good, Parkinson."

Pansy looked up from his feet and smiled, "Thank you."

Light fled the room. The locks _Pansy and Ron_ and _Ron and Pansy_ were now open.


	10. Study Hall

**Study Hall**

Chapter Ten

Ron continued thumbing his way through the book and marveling at the artwork inside. The drawings were so real and life like. He passed a picture of a potion boiling inside a cauldron. The bubbles looked as if they would burst out of the page. The only thing more starling than the quality of the pieces was the person who created them.

Pansy Parkinson was a first class bitch, plain and simple. Not a low rate bitch whose biggest trick is talking behind your back. The thing about Pansy was that there is next to nothing she would say behind your back and _not_ say to your face. And the things she would say to your face weren't mundane things like outfit mishaps or the embarrassing thing you did at some party two years ago. No, Pansy would say something utterly morbid about your dying mother or your spell damaged brother and then tact on the mundane things to ensure she thoroughly stepped and pissed on all of your feelings. She was ruthless and cold-hearted. Well, not completely. These last few months have showed Ron that Pansy showed more restraint the more she liked you but Merlin help you if you tick her off.

It was for these reasons that Ron had difficulty linking Pansy with these art pieces or with his feet for that matter. He eyed the brunette who was still steadily rubbing them. He shook his head in shock and returned to the sketch book. "I always wanted to draw but all I can make are stick figures," Ron admitted. He heard a snort of derision in response. Ron paused his flipping to stare at one picture that caught his eye. Pansy was in the drawing with her arm wrapped around the shoulders of a blonde little girl. Pansy was smirking in the picture while the small girl was smiling big and bright. Her hair framed her heart-shaped face while Pansy wore straight brown locks in a loose bun. Ron asked, "You have a sister?"

Pansy did not bother looking at where he was pointing to. "Is it a little, blonde woman?"

_'Woman?'_ Ron thought in confusion. "Well, she's little and blonde."

"Yes, that would be my mother."

Ron tried to sit up but Pansy's easy grip on his foot turned vice-like in an instant. He instead shoved the book in Pansy's face and pointed to the picture in question. "But I'm talking about this girl."

Pansy's eyes flashed. "I'm not stupid, Weasley. I know who you're talking about. That's my mother," She repeated.

Ron protested, "No, it's not!"

She looked up at him incredulous. "How are you going to tell me that that is not my mother? You don't even know what she looks like you cretin-,"

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I grew up with five older brothers. Disbelief is my initial reaction to everything." He stared down at the picture once more. "But she looks so young and she's so tiny."

"Well she's 4'10". I imagine that she looks quite small in comparison to your freakishly tall frame but that does not make her any younger."

Ron lay back down on the couch, humming his agreement. "Does she draw like you?"

Pansy nodded, digging her thumb into the arch of his foot, causing Ron to flex his foot in reflexively. She chuckled, "Art is kind of a thing in my family. My mother does it, her father, his father before him- everyone in the Mauprivez line. Our small hands make us able to pay close attention to detail."

"Let me see them," Pansy placed her right hand into Ron's open palm. His eyes widened at the size as he turned them this way and that. They were impossibly tiny, especially in Ron's massive hands which completely engulfed Pansy's dainty ones. It was like holding hands with a child. "Wow, and your mom's hands are this small?"

"And my grandfather," Pansy nodded. "He always tells me that I should be grateful that I'm a girl. Grandfather has always been a bit self-conscious about the proportion of his hands to the rest of his body but Merlin knows he would never admit."

Ron wrinkled his noise. "You know, you guys talk so proper. Why not call him Grandpa or Pop Pop-,"

Pansy mouthed, "Pop Pop" as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.

"I wouldn't be calling them 'Grandfather' or 'Grandmother.' That doesn't sound weird to you?"

"Weasley do you have your own room?" Pansy exclaimed as her hands stilled.

Ron frowned, "only when Harry's not at the Burrow for the holidays but that has nothing to do with grandfathers-,"

"No, look!" She pointed out a door beside the bathroom that had '_Ron Weasley'_ written in cursive writing. Ron quickly removed his feet from Pansy's clutches and padded over to the mahogany door. Pansy pouted at the loss for a brief moment before she, Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Hermione followed suit. They stood before the door with wonder. Everyone except for Pansy, that is. "It's a door, people. As fascinating as it is, I'm sure the inside is a lot better. Open it, Weasley!" She demanded.

Ron slowly reached for the handle and then stilled. At Ron's pause. Pansy let out an impatient sigh and opened the door herself before receiving a reprimanding nudge from Blaise.

Inside the room was king sized, four poster bed on the far wall with plush scarlet and gold comforters. All of his things had been moved to this bedroom, including his school trunk that lay at the foot of his bed and his Chudley Cannons poster that hung above the bed's headboard. He also had an armoire, several couches, a coffee table, and a study desk with his books already neatly placed on it. This room was far more spacious than the one he shared with the other Gryffindor Sixth Years. He briefly wondered if he would be sharing the space with Harry and Malfoy once they got private room privileges when a voice filled the room.

"Congratulations, Mr. Weasley. You have been awarded your very own room for a job well done. We do encourage you to stay in the common room as much as possible but you are free to come to this room as you wish, should you ever need time alone," Professor McGonagall's voice paused at the simultaneous cries, "Lucky!"

"Unlike the balcony, you may allow your other housemates inside. However, Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter have only a limited amount of time allotted inside the room while the Slytherin's time will be unrestricted. Oh, please don't look so dour, Mr. Weasley. We are, after all, trying to bud new friendships not nurture the old ones. Keep up the good work."

"Well then," Pansy summoned the abandoned bottle of lotion and headed over to the nearest couch in Ron's new room. She patted the seat beside her and commanded, "Have a seat, Weasley."

"Parkinson, no," Ron shook his head firmly. He sat beside her but deliberately cross-legged. The rest of his Housemates filed into his bedroom and sat down with them.

Pansy tilted her head in confusion. "Excuse me?"

Ron smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I don't know how you managed it but you made my feet feel both relaxed and violated at the same time. Just give it a rest, okay? But maybe later?" He added at Pansy's forlorn look. He hesitantly reached over to give her a comforting pat on the hand for good measure.

"Don't touch me!" Pansy snatched her hand away as if she had been scalded. Just like that, anger wiped the sad look off her face. She narrowed her eyes at the redhead and crossed her arms in a huff. "I suggest you rid yourself of that _attitude_ and start showing some gratitude. You _owe_ me!"

"For what?" Ron looked aghast.

"Hello! It was my foot massage that opened the locks in the first place."

Ron opened his mouth to object but Draco cut him off. "Pansy, you would not have thought to give him a massage had I not hid his socks-,"

She scoffed, "Relevance? My friendship got him this room!"

Blaise argued, "Well, what about mine?"

Pansy rolled her eyes, "What about yours? It got him access to a balcony. Whoop-dee-do."

"Hey! Yours would not have been a second friendship if mine was not the first-,"

"And yours would not have been a friendship at all had it not been for my help."

"Well Draco, if you are so smart, why didn't _you_ befriend the speckled idiot?"

"Oi!"

Draco ignored the objection. "To get you balcony so you would no longer be left out!"

"Oh!" Pansy brightened. "That is so sweet! Blaise, isn't that sweet?"

"That _is_ sweet!" Blaise agreed.

"Thank you, Draco!" Pansy beamed.

"You are _not_ welcome," Draco huffed and sat back on the couch.

Ron let out a heavy sigh. "Well, I feel used." He watched Pansy walk over to hug the boy Slytherin, who remained stiff through the embrace. Blaise sat, twirling a strand of her hair around a finger. The three of them sat in a comfortable silence as if the argument had never happened. The Gryffindors stared blankly at the other housemates' exchange.

The Gryffindors wished they could say this was the only time they witnessed such a heated exchanged but they couldn't. That fight was just one of many. One afternoon, they sat quietly eating their lunch as the next altercation unfolded.

"What?" Blaise looked blankly at her cousin. Draco was about to repeat his request when Pansy interrupted him.

"GIVE. HIM. THE. SANDWICHES!"

Blaise passed the plate and rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic Pansy. I didn't hear him, okay?"

"Gee, _that's_ funny." Pansy's voice dripped with sarcasm. She counted on manicured fingers. "I heard him, Weasley heard him, Potter heard him, even the Mudbl-, I'm sorry." She paused to correct herself upon Ron's scowl. "That BITCH heard him, just about everyone heard him. What the hell are you working on that requires _that_ much attention?" Pansy snapped.

Draco looked at his cousin, sternly. "Do not let her speak to you like that!"

"I won't! Who do you think you are?" Blaise demanded.

"Umm, Pansy Parkinson, daughter of Lucky and Whitney Parkinson. Anymore asinine questions?"

"Pansy, can you even _spell_ 'asinine?'"

"Fuck you!"

"I'm sorry, that is incorrect, Ms. Parkinson. Would you like to try again?"

"I 'would like' to stick my fist up your puss-,"

Draco dropped his spoon in agitation, "Why do you do that?"

Pansy looked blankly at him. "What are you talking about?

"You _always_ do that-,"

"Do what?"

"We'll be having a perfectly normal conversation and then you go into this deep dark place that is the gutter of your mind. What possesses you to talk like that?

"Don't ask me that! Do you see me asking why you put all that shit in your hair?"

"_Attend, attend, attend_. My hair products are not shit."

"Explain to me how you spend so much money on those products when they make it look like you every morning you go to that bathroom and jack off and then rub your cum through your hair to get it to stick to your head like that." Pansy spared a glance at Granger, who choked on a piece of food, Harry, who was thumping her on the back, and Ron, who was pretending to read his upside down Potions book to cover up his snickers. "Honestly, Draco, you look like a utensil."

Draco and Blaise looked at Pansy in confusion. Harry supplied, "I think you mean 'a tool.'" He bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"That's what I said."

"I do not look like a tool!"

"But you kind of do . . ." Blaise trailed off at the murderous look at Draco's face. They continued quibbling at each other for a while longer. Meanwhile, Ron had now resorted to putting his head down since the book was shaking too hard but his visibly quivering shoulders weren't any better. Harry chuckled to Hermione. "I have never met people who bicker as much as they do. And it's not even malicious. It's like they bicker for the sake of bickering."

Draco whipped his stare at Harry. "Excuse me, Potter. Do we look like beggars? I do not recall asking for your two Knuts."

"Yeah!" Pansy chimed. "Who asked you?" Harry braced himself for another round when Blaise stopped them.

"Stop please. Transfiguration is hard enough without you guys going at it." She returned her concentration to the blank piece of parchment and her open book. The group fell silent once more and resumed eating. Their lunch plates had just disappeared when Blaise slammed her quill down and book shut in frustration. Her eyes blazed with exasperation. "Why must we know how to turn a rabbit into a stool? Like what's the purpose of that?"

"Well-,"

"Pansy," Blaise shut her eyes with forced patience. "If you say something blaringly obvious, I will throw this book at you." Blaise waited and was met with silence. "Draco, you have to help me, please!" She begged.

Draco held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, Blaise. I barely get the subject myself. I couldn't explain it to you if I tried."

Blaise closed her eyes and banged her against the table. Harry and Ron both gave Hermione a look. She mouthed, "What?" They looked down at Blaise and back at Hermione pointedly. Hermione sighed and glanced over at the girl and said softly, "I can help you." Blaise didn't budge and Hermione shrugged in defeat. Ron nudged Hermione and Harry ground out, "Louder!"

Hermione reached over with trepidation and tapped Blaise on the shoulder. Blaise sat up and peered at the bushy-haired girl. "Yes?"

Hermione cleared her throat and offered, "I could help you with Transfiguration."

Blaise narrowed her eyes at her suspiciously. "Seriously?"

Hermione nodded. "Transfiguration is my favorite subject."

Blaise stared at Hermione for a long time. The others looked on silently as Hermione squirmed under the Slytherin's steady gaze. She stuck up her chin. "Look, if you don't want my help then-,"

"I do!" Blaise winced at her desperate tone. "I was wondering how you could possibly like a subject that is utterly impossible."

Hermione softened. "Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad."

"_If_ I get the hang of it," Blaise corrected, opening her book once more. "Animal transformations are beyond me."

"Don't worry. You'll get it soon enough." Hermione searched her bag for her own copy of the Transfiguration book and missed the grateful smile Blaise flashed her way.

By the end of the study session, Blaise had both a handle on Transfiguration and her very own bedroom.

Professor Dessen dealt out the usual round of Butterbeers. This time, the seven of them were gathered on the balcony to Hermione's pleasure. Save for classes, it had been a very long time since she had been outside and without taking Astronomy, it had been an even longer time she set eyes on the night sky. The stars twinkled above their heads and the moon hung bright and plump in the sky. An evening breeze blew steadily and Hermione was ever grateful for the warm bottle in her hands. She curled deeper into the blanket she had Transfigured and focused on the conversation once more.

"So how is it really? I mean, I see that you guys are getting along but how are you guys _really_? How have you been holding up?" Professor Dessen smiled eagerly.

Pansy took a swig from her bottle before inquiring. "Why do you bother asking? You can see what goes on here."

"No, we can't."

She quirked an eyebrow, "Really? You can't?"

"Gosh, no. We see into the room after a friendship has been made but we can't watch all the time. That would be a blatant violation of privacy!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, as opposed to locking six teenagers in a single room against their will?" Draco wondered, feigning curiously. He stood up from his seat on the bench and made his way to the door.

"Well, that's different," the young professor protested.

"Of course it is." Draco rolled his eyes disappearing through the door.

The professor shook her head at Draco's retreating form. "How do you all put up with him?" She pinned her gaze on Harry with a bright smile. "I suppose I should ask you, Harry, since you're a recent friend of his."

Harry ducked his head at her admiring gaze and shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. We get along-,"

"POTTER!"

"For the most part," he finished as the male Slytherin stomped back on to the porch. The blond held an object firmly in his hand that looked suspiciously like his Firebolt that he had been shining before Professor Dessen's arrival. He may or may not have left the broom in the middle of the floor mid-shine after spotting the pack of Butterbeers in her hand. Harry winced upon spotting Draco's red cheekbone. '_Oh hell_,' he thought. His broomstick had made Draco fall on top of it being in a place that it shouldn't be. He shuddered at the memory of the lecture he got from using Draco's toothpaste and Harry hadn't even _known_ about His Highness' weird commandments for proper toothpaste handling. He inwardly groaned at the thought of the impending nagging he would get. This was has to be worse. Draco was always on his and Ron's ass about putting their stuff away, saying things like-

"I ought to shove this broom up your nose!"

"Ha!" Pansy snickered. For a second there, "I thought he was gonna say that he'd shove it up Potter's-,"

"Ask! Ask me how many times I've told you to not leave your things lying around." Draco calm demeanor belied his growing irritation.

Harry tried to stave off Draco's anger. Maybe a quick apology will stop this from escalating. After all, it worked last time. "I'm sor-,"

"No, no." Draco shook his head and pointed the offending broomstick into Potter's face. "If you were sorry, this wouldn't have been lying in the middle floor where any unsuspecting person could fall to their death."

"At six feet? Really, Malfoy? Death from a six feet fall?"

"Potter, you're evading the question."

"Oh my goodness," Harry rolled his eyes. "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU-,"

"I have perfect hearing Potter. There is no need to shout-,"

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU TOLD ME?" Harry continued on in an even louder voice.

"Six times, Potter. This is not Potter mansion where Draco the House Elf picks up after Master Potter-,"

"Come off it, Malfoy."

"No, I'm not going to come off it, Potter. I'm not going to come off anything because I am sick of your things lying all over the place and I am sick of having to pick up after you!"

Harry yelled, "You have NEVER picked up my things. You just stand there and bitch until I get it-,"

"How dare you! I do not bitch."

Professor Dessen sipped her beverage quietly, "Are they always like this?"

Pansy shook her head. "It's only when Potter gets annoying."

"I am not annoying!"

"You are!" Draco shoved the Firebolt at Harry and snapped his head to the Professor. "He always wears these baggy, old, and unflattering Muggle clothes _just_ to hurt my feelings."

Harry gave Draco a withering glare and turned to the Professor himself. "I know that Malfoy and I are friends and all but I still get this overwhelming urge to clock him. Is that normal?"

"Please explain to me the correlation between time and the fact that you are a complete and utter slob."

"No, no, no! That color is all wrong. You'll look like a commoner. It's wretched, absolutely wretched!"

Blaise rolled her eyes. "Would you like to use the lavender, Pansy?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Pansy plucked the light shade of purple from her friend's hand and placed it beside her.

After a long day of Potions, Transfiguration, and History of Magic essays, the two girls were sitting on the couch closet to the fire. They decided to do their nails because it had been ages since they had done anything like this and the two girls missed their time together. Pansy filed her nails, silently debating whether or not to do a design on them. Blaise clipped her nails, wondering how to go about bringing up the subject of Terry Boot.

By all appearances, Blaise was as callous and cold-hearted as the rest of the Slytherins. She always laughed whenever Crabbe or Goyle beat up underclassmen and sneered as she stepped over Hufflepuffs tripped by Millicent. Occasionally, she would even direct a few "Mudbloods" towards Pansy's victims of the moment. Yes, she behaved exactly as what was expected of her being a prominent figure in the Slytherin house and a descendent of one of the most powerful families in the Pureblood communities.

But in all honesty, Blaise was nothing like the way she acted in front of other people. Those who truly knew her knew that she was actually quite soft. They could see the strain in her snickers and the quiver in her sneers and they could hear the faintest fumble in her name calling. She found these actions caviler and abhorred partaking in them. Who cares if a muggleborn makes eye contact with them or if a First Year steps on a shoe? That is no reason to retaliate by breaking the "transgressor's" glasses or Cursing their shoes.

This is precisely why she had hesitated in bringing up the Ravenclaw in the first place. Unlike Blaise, Pansy possessed a thirst for vindication that secretly frightened her. The fight with Granger aside, Pansy has never laid a hand on anyone but she had an apt for destruction and devastation that was nearly unparalleled and she feared how far the brunette would take this situation with Boot.

Normally, she would just forget the incident and move on but the Ravenclaw wouldn't let her. She did everything she could to avoid the boy but of course she couldn't escape from him in classes. At these times, she would keep her gaze glued to the front of the classroom but occasionally she did make eye contact with the boy. The few times their eyes did meet, he would be staring at her with a look that she could only describe as hungry. The first time this happened, she froze in shock and watched him slowly lick his lips and mouth, "I want you." Blaise was prepared to spend the next two years staying the _hell_ away from him but Ron had caught sight of one of Boots leering looks in Charms this morning. As soon as they stepped in the portrait hole for lunch, the redhead had yanked her aside.

"I will kill him if he ever looks at you like that again!" He growled. His grip on her arm tightened in anger.

Blaise shook her arm from his clutches and sighed, "It's nothing."

"It's fucking creepy, is what it is. Has this been going on all this time? Do you want me to talk to him?" He whispered, furiously. Blaise saw Ron's face and ears had flushed with anger and she found herself feeling oddly touched by this.

She smiled and patted his shoulder, "Ron, it's okay. He'll stop."

"It's been over a month! Tell Malfoy about it because Parkinson sure as hell never handled it."

"Actually…" Blaise smiled sheepishly. "I never told her about what happened."

"Oh," Ron regarded her for a beat before asking, "Were you gonna tell her before or after he raped you in a broom closet?"

"Ron!"

"I'm serious, Blaise. You tell her today."

"You don't understand, Ron. Pansy will-,"

"_Today_, Blaise."

She crossed her arms and stared up at him, "Or what?"

"Or I'll have to kick his ass on the way to class tomorrow which will make me late for Potions. Do you really want the wrath of Snape on your hands?"

"I'll talk to her…today," She hastily added at Ron's raised eyebrows.

"Good. Now, I'm going to pretend to do homework for the next hour so Hermione gets off my back. When are you-," He stopped talking at the feel of Blaise's lips on his cheek. He immediately felt his neck heat up. He didn't think he'll ever get used to the Slytherin cheek kissing business. "Couldn't you high five or something?" Ron called out after her retreating form.

So here she was, doing manicures with Pansy hours later and she still hadn't broached the subject. She had better do it soon since Ron was making not-so-subtle gestures from the homework table whenever she caught his eye.

"Pansy?"

"Yeah?" The brunette's eyes flickered in her direction in brief acknowledgment before returning to her filing.

"Do you know Terry Boot? He's a Ravenclaw in our year…?" She trailed off at Pansy's snicker. "I take it that you do?"

"Do I! I gave him head at the end of the year house party last year. He talks so big for a guy who's so small," She chuckled and spared Blaise another glance. At her friend's shocked look she sobered, "I'm sorry. Are you interested in him? He's really not as small as I made him out to be-,"

"Pansy-,"

"And even if he was, that would be a good thing for you, right? I mean, you're a virgin. It would be easier on you."

"Pansy, I'm not interested in him."

"Are you sure? I could hook you guys up!" Pansy perked up at the thought of matchmaking.

"No, I'm trying to tell you that he's been creeping me out."

All of a sudden Pansy's smile disappeared and she was all business. "_Dite-moi_, Blaise. Did that fucker try anything-,"

Blaise cut her off and grabbed her hands that had stopped filing and were clenching with fury. "Pans, nothing happened. It's like you said. He's a lot of talk."

"_Tu mens_. _Qu'est-ce que c'est passé?_"

The raven haired girl stared at the fuming girl beside her. The angel blue eyes narrowed and bore into her. There was nothing she could do at this point. Pansy was out for blood. With a sigh, Blaise filled Pansy in on what was going on these past couple weeks.

"He did WHAT!" Pansy leapt out of her seat.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Blaise grounded out and yanked Pansy back into the seat. She looked about herself and rolled her eyes. Just as she suspected, Pansy's outburst had gained everyone else's attention in the room. Hermione poked her head out from her copy of _Hogwarts: A History_, and Harry, Ron, and Draco stopped their heated discussion as to which Quidditch team would make it to the World Cup. Blaise smiled and waved at the group before returning her attention back to Pansy, who was still shaking her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe that he- That little bastard! Who does he think he is? He will pay, Blaise, he _will _pay," Pansy said vehemently.

"Pansy, you need to calm down-,"

"DO NOT- sorry. Do _not _tell me to calm down!" Pansy's voice lowered into a furious whisper when the room occupants stared at her once more and Blaise's hand dug into her arm. "He can't do that, not to you. I won't allow it." Pansy shook her head emphatically as if to lodge the very thought out of her mind. She resumed filing her nails with vengeance and her blazing eyes darted back and forth.

Blaise took all this in and for a moment, she feared for the Ravenclaw. She covered her friend's hand with her own to still her movements. Blaise looked the brunette in the eye and said earnestly, "Pansy, promise me you won't take this too far."

Pansy dislodged Blaise's hands from her own. "Never mind me taking it too far. _You_ should have come to me as soon as this happened!" She jabbed an accusing finger into Blaise's chest before resuming her task.

"Pansy, _please_." Pansy looked up at that. Blaise's eyes were wide and pleading and she could spot water starting to collect at the edges. Pansy rolled her eyes with annoyance. Merlin, Blaise could get so fucking emotional sometimes. She sighed and wrapped an arm around the other girl's shoulders to placate her. Blaise laid her head on Pansy's chest. Pansy, in turn, laid her head on the crown of the raven haired girl. "I'm serious, Pans. There's something really off about Boot. Promise me you won't get carried away?"

Pansy rubbed Blaise's shoulder and whispered soothingly, "Don't you worry, your pretty little head about it." She eyed the lavender nail color still placed beside her and lightly coughed. "If this sob fest is over, I would like to get back to my nails please." They both smiled and extracted themselves from each other to continue their manicures.

A few months from now, Blaise will heatedly bring up this conversation once more and Pansy will politely point out that she never promised her a thing.


End file.
